Typical dish of Messina
Pasta with cuttlefish
A pasta dish enveloped in a deep red sauce, dotted with tender pieces of freshly caught cuttlefish. The scent of the sea blends with the sweetness of tomato and the aroma of extra virgin olive oil and parsley. The texture is twofold: the short pasta holds the sauce while the cuttlefish remains tender and slightly springy. It is a generous first course, typical of family lunches overlooking the Strait.
Season: Tutto l'anno€10–16
Why it matters
Pasta with cuttlefish tells the story of the everyday relationship between Messina and its sea. The cuttlefish of the Strait, caught in the waters between Sicily and Calabria, have been part of home kitchens and harbor trattorias for centuries. This dish embodies Messina’s seaside cooking: simple, immediate, and deeply tied to the day’s catch.
Origin story
The recipe comes from the traditions of fishermen from the Strait, who brought home very fresh cuttlefish to cook with the few ingredients available: tomato, oil, and garden herbs. Over time the cuttlefish sauce, initially also served as a second course, became a condiment for short pasta. The tomato version became established in the twentieth century as one of the city’s most recognizable seafood preparations.
Typical ingredients
seppie freschepomodoropasta cortaaglioolio extravergine d'olivaprezzemolo
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