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lessandro Carollo was born in Palermo, on the northern coast of Sicily. “When I was a young boy, I became familiar with cooking through frequent trips to my grandfather’s kitchen. This exposure to the kitchen led me to attend culinary school at age fourteen.” Upon completion of his five years of study he began working at traditional Sicilian restaurants, then worked a summer season in Florence. After two years of hard work in Sicily, Alessandro’s dream to cook in California became a reality when he moved to San Diego and worked at a restaurant called Tuscany. By chance, one day he stopped to eat at Il Fornaio in Del Mar and was immediately struck that this was where he really belonged. He was hired as a sous chef at Il Fornaio in Pasadena. “Il Fornaio was my choice because I liked the authentic Italian ambience. And the concept of regional Italian menus each month seemed interesting and fun; from my first day at Il Fornaio I had hopes of designing my own regional menu. Now that I have become Senior Sous Chef, I finally get my turn!”
Drawing from his own experience and inspiration from his wife Sara, who is also Sicilian, Alessandro created this menu in the hope that it will bring the many authentic smells and flavors found on the sunny shores of Sicily to every Il Fornaio guest. “Each time I prepare these Sicilian dishes I am transported back to those days in my grandfather’s kitchen, where my passion for the culinary arts began. Buon Appetito!” Traveling to Sicily? Be sure and eat at Antica Trattoria dell’ Arco Francu U’ Piscaturi in the town of Porticello. Owner and good friend of Alessandro Carollo, Francesco Crivello will greet you and show you the greatest hospitality as he serves Pesce Spada Panato (breaded swordfish) and Pesce Spada Affumicato (smoked swordfish carpaccio). Alessandro is happy to make additional travel suggestions for your trip to Sicily, just call him at 626.683.9797.
Many ingredients were introduced to Italy via Sicilian ports. Rice, brought to Italy by Arabian merchants is featured in Risotto Nero. Semolina is another ingredient brought to Italy through Sicily. Semolina stars in the bread we offer tonight, aptly named Pane Siciliano.
There is not much grazing land on the island, so whatever sheep are raised are mostly used for milk for the variety of cheeses that Sicilians love, especially ricotta and pecorino. Because of the climate, much of any year’s first vegetables in Europe are grown in Sicily. Springtime on the Continent is announced by the arrival of the first of many boatloads of Sicilian eggplant, peppers, and peas. Eggplant is used liberally in many regions of Italy, but much of what is bought in the North comes from the South. Sicily also has long cultivated a surplus of wheat. Pasta, while believed to have been invented in China, was introduced to Italy by merchants arriving in Sicily.
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Bianco
Cook Express joins the celebration of Sicily by featuring Il Fornaio's
Spaghettini Mondellana on their menu. Now you can cook and savor this
traditional dish in the comfort of your own home with the help of
Cookexpress.com. 
The largest island in the Mediterranean, Sicily is a cultural melting pot. Its heritage – both historical and culinary – is as much Greek, Arab and Norman as it is Italian. When you cross over from the Italian mainland to Messina, you are only 90 miles away from Tunisia, and North African influences permeate Sicilian cuisine. The Ancient Greeks also made their mark, but it is a strange mixture of Norman and Arabian influences, coupled with a sunny climate and fertile soil that gives Sicily its abundance of unique foods and culinary traditions.
Sicily is home to over half of all of Italy’s registered fishing boats, so much of the Sicilian diet is based on seafood. The vast migration of tuna and swordfish past the island were recorded as far back as Aristotle in the 4th century BC. and inspired two fish dishes on tonight’s menu: Carpaccio di Pesce Spada (smoked swordfish) and Involtini di Tonno (tuna rolled with shrimp, mozzarella, pinenuts). Sicily is also the citrus capital of Italy and the classic combination of fresh orange and fennel is featured in the Carpaccio di Pesce Spada.