A new eatery in New York wants you to experience the authentic specialties from the most famous Mediterranean Island. Sicily, in fact, is not only an inspiration but the home to Pane Pasta’s chef and owner, Vincenzo Virzi, along with his business partner, Piero Merola. Alongside homemade pasta, pizza, and sweets – all made following original Sicilian recipes – the restaurant’s menu features a selection of classic rosticceria delicacies.
The rosticceria, a word used for Sicilian street food, includes arancini, the popular fried rice balls, made in the “abburro” version with ham, mozzarella, and béchamel cream or “accarne” style with beef ragù and peas. The prosciutto and mozzarella calzone comes baked or fried, while the “king” of all Palermo street food, the sfincione, is a hybrid between a Sicilian pizza and focaccia and made with stewed onion, anchovy, cheese, and tomato sauce. “Americans are beginning to appreciate and familiarize themselves with Sicilian rosticceria,” noted Vincenzo Virzi. “They love our sfincionello – as well as our arancini. The rice balls are now the most popular Sicilian street food. Rosticceria is easy to eat and it fits into the New York street-food style.”
Pane Pasta production
There is a variety of fresh pastas to choose from – among them spaghetti, tagliatelle, gnocchi, orecchiette, fusilli and penne featuring classics like norma, bolognese, boscaiola and sausage and broccoli sauces or ragù. Pizza and focacce are baked daily according to Sicilian tradition.
When it comes to dessert selection, clients can find plain or filled croissants, donuts in a ciambella or krapfen version, tiramisù, profiteroles, and the inevitable Sicilian cannoli. “We use just a few simple, high-quality ingredients imported from Italy,” adds Vincenzo.
Born and raised in Sicily, Vincenzo was trained in his father’s bakery in Palermo, since he was a kid. Five years ago, his dream to bring Sicilian street food to America had come finally come true. “I always worked as a baker and pastry chef with my dad, who has been in the business for almost 70 years. When the time was ripe, I decided to go to New York with the goal and desire to bring Sicilian street food and pastries [to America]. As soon as I realized I was not the only one who wanted to bring a corner of Sicily to the Big Apple, Piero, my business partner and I decided to open Pane Pasta. We opened in early March before the pandemic started and these first few months have not been easy, but people have started to love and appreciate the freshness and the authenticity of our food.”
Pane Pasta's Sfincione
Pane Pasta Sfincione by Chef Vincenzo Virzi
For the sfincione dough:
1 kg flour (8 cups)
20 g salt (about 1 Tbsp)
40g sugar (about 3 Tbsp)
50 ml extra virgin olive oil (about 4 Tbsp)
500 ml of water (2 and ¼ cups)
15 g brewer’s yeast (0.5 oz)
For the sfincione topping:
1 kg onions (about 6 onions)
8 g salt (about 1 and ½ teaspoons)
2 anchovies
Pepper to taste
80 ml of extra virgin olive oil (1/3 cup)
80 g tomato paste (1/3 cup)
Method:
For the sauce:
In a saucepan, cook the onions and anchovies seasoned with salt and pepper over a low heat. Stir the onions and once cooked, add the olive oil. After 10 minutes, add the tomato paste.
Cook for another 15 minutes and once the sauce is ready, let it cool.
For the sfincione:
Then prepare the sfincione dough with the flour, sugar, salt and olive oil and half of the water. Use the other half of the water to dissolve the yeast. Add it slowly once the dough is ready and smooth. Transfer the dough to an oiled pan and cover with a cloth for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, make sure the dough is stretched out across the whole baking sheet and add the toppings. Finish with Ragusano cheese and breadcrumbs if desired. Let rise for another 45 minutes and then bake for 22-25 minutes at 430°F.