Fans of the television series Inspector Montalbano are often captivated not only by the beauty of the Sicilian landscape, but also by the abundance of traditional Sicilian dishes that appear in almost every episode. Andrea Camilleri, the creator of the Montalbano novels, filled his stories with food references, knowing that Sicilian cuisine is inseparable from Sicilian culture.
Montalbano, Food and Sicily
Commissario Salvo Montalbano lives in the south-east of Sicily, near Marina di Ragusa, where many of my relatives have their holiday houses. His now-famous seaside house is in Punta Secca, a small fishing village in the comune of Santa Croce Camerina. In the series, Montalbano often sits on his terrace overlooking the sea, enjoying whatever Adelina—his devoted housekeeper and cook—has prepared for him.
Food is not merely fuel for Montalbano. He savours every dish with appreciation and gratitude. Meals help him think, reflect, and plan his next moves. He accepts invitations readily, has favourite trattorie, and resents interruptions at dinner. Camilleri describes almost every dish Montalbano eats, and many of them are regional staples of south-eastern Sicily.
Among these dishes, one appears repeatedly: pasta (or rice) with black ink sauce.
Southeastern Sicily: Where Books and TV Meet
Although Camilleri lived and worked in Rome, he spent many years in Sicily and was born in Porto Empedocle. Many of the places in the Montalbano series carry fictional names but are easily recognisable. For example:
- Marinella, the location of Montalbano’s seaside home, is really Punta Secca.
- Vigàta corresponds to Porto Empedocle.
- Fiacca is Sciacca.
- Fela is Gela.
- Montelusa is Agrigento.
The police station shown in the TV series is a real building in Ragusa Ibla, and many of the trattorie featured in the show proudly serve pasta (or risu) cu niuru di sicci—Sicilian pasta with cuttlefish or squid ink.
On one of my trips to Sicily, I ate in trattorie in Palermo frequently visited by Camilleri and his friend, the Sicilian writer Leonardo Sciascia. It seems clear that pasta or rice with black ink was one of Camilleri’s favourite dishes, appearing in several of the Montalbano novels. In Siracusa, I once enjoyed ricotta ravioli dressed with black ink—an unforgettable flavour.
Recipe: Pasta (or Risu) cu Niuru di Sicci — Pasta with Black Ink Sauce
This classic Sicilian dish is simple but deeply flavoured, relying on the sweetness of tomatoes, the richness of squid ink, and the tender bite of squid or cuttlefish.
Ingredients
- 500 g pasta (spaghetti, linguine, or bucatini)
- 600 g squid or cuttlefish, plus 2–3 ink sacs (or use jarred nero di seppia from Italian supermarkets)
- 300 g ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
- 1 large tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 medium onion and/or 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 cup finely chopped parsley
- Salt (a little)
- Chili flakes or freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Grated pecorino or fresh ricotta, to serve (optional)
Method
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Prepare the squid:
Clean carefully and extract the ink sacs if using fresh ink. Cut the squid into 1 cm rings and set aside. Tentacles can be included. -
Make the sauce:
Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil until soft. Add tomatoes, parsley, salt, white wine, and tomato paste. Simmer until the sauce reduces and thickens. -
Cook the pasta.
-
Add the ink:
Stir the squid ink into the sauce along with chili flakes or pepper. Mix well. -
Cook the squid:
Add the squid rings and cook over medium–high heat until just tender—a few minutes only.
Italians often prefer squid cooked longer: add a splash of water, cover, and braise until soft. -
Serve:
Toss the pasta with the sauce. Finish with grated pecorino or a spoonful of ricotta.
(If using ricotta, add it on top—mixing it through will turn it grey.)
Regional Variations
Sicilian cooking is incredibly local, and variations on this dish appear from town to town:
-
Keep the squid white:
Sauté separately in olive oil with garlic and parsley. Fold gently through the dressed pasta and reserve a few pieces to place on top. -
Add peas:
Stir in 1 cup of shelled peas along with the tomatoes. -
Add bay leaves:
Include 1–2 bay leaves when adding the squid. -
Two-tone presentation:
Reserve a small amount of the tomato sauce and serve the black pasta with a spoon of red sauce and a spoon of ricotta on top.
This part of Sicily is deeply proud of its culinary heritage, and Montalbano’s Pasta with Black Ink Sauce remains one of the most iconic dishes associated with both the books and the TV adaptation. If you find yourself travelling through Ragusa, Scicli, or Marina di Ragusa, you will have no trouble finding a trattoria ready to serve it.
LINK also contains photos of the SE part of Sicily where the the TV series and books are set:
RICOTTA RAVIOLI and STONE GROUND FLOUR