Translated automatically by AI from the Italian original.
SICILY / TERRA & GUSTO – Among the unmistakable scents of the Mediterranean autumn, calamarata with rock red mullet, wild fennel and toasted breadcrumbs is one of the most characteristic first courses in Sicilian culinary tradition. A dish that combines the briny sweetness of local fish with the aromatic note of the island’s wild herbs, finding its ideal match in a glass of the white wine “Odo Augelli”, a blend of 60% Grillo and 40% Catarratto.
[Image: A plate of calamarata with fresh red mullet, wild fennel and toasted breadcrumbs, served with a glass of Sicilian white wine]
Ingredients for 4 people
To make a balanced calamarata true to the flavours of the Sicilian coast, you need a few carefully selected ingredients:
- 360 g of calamarata pasta (bronze-die)
- 500 g of very fresh rock red mullet (already filleted and deboned)
- 1 bunch of fresh wild fennel
- 250 g of datterino or cherry tomatoes
- 80 g of coarse breadcrumbs (for the toasted breadcrumbs)
- 1 clove of red garlic, Sicilian extra-virgin olive oil, salt and black pepper to taste
- ½ glass of Sicilian white wine for deglazing
Step-by-step preparation
- The aromatic base: boil the wild fennel in plenty of salted water for about 10 minutes, drain it while keeping the cooking water (to be used for the pasta) and chop it finely with a knife.
- The red mullet sauce: in a large pan, brown the garlic clove in extra-virgin olive oil, then remove it and add the tomatoes cut in half. After a few minutes, add the red mullet fillets in pieces, deglaze with the white wine and let the alcohol evaporate over a high flame.
- The finishing touch and the crunchy note: stir the chopped wild fennel into the sauce. Separately, toast the breadcrumbs in a pan with a drizzle of oil until golden and crispy. Drain the calamarata al dente directly into the pan with the sauce, toss with a ladle of the fennel-scented water and finish each plate with a generous sprinkling of toasted breadcrumbs.
The perfect pairing: “Odo Augelli” wine (Grillo and Catarratto)
Enhancing the dish’s structure is the pairing with the white wine “Odo Augelli”, a label with great character born from a blend of 60% Grillo and 40% Catarratto.
Served at a temperature of 8–10 °C, this blend harmoniously complements the delicate richness of the red mullet and the sweetness of the datterino tomatoes: the citrus and tropical structure of the Grillo gives the sip fullness and persistence, while the freshness and typical mineral, savoury vein of the Catarratto perfectly cleanse the palate with every bite, enhancing the herbaceous aromas of the wild fennel without overpowering them.
