Pagnotta, or “vastidduni” in Sicilian, is a typical homemade bread. This one was made by my cousin Francesca. (It was delicious!) When I asked her how she learned to make it, she said, “I’ve always known!” Her recipe is simple: flour, oil, salt, pepper, oregano, and sometimes anchovies; the hard part is the kneading and shaping of the dough: this requires an inherent instinct and love.
Allison Scola is founder, owner, and curator of Experience Sicily and the Cannoli Crawl. Named one of the experts for the 2019 New York Times Travel Show, Scola writes and lectures on Sicily and leads immersive tours and designs custom itineraries that delight discerning travelers. She has been featured on Rudy Maxa’s World with the Carey’s, America’s #1 Travel Radio Show and as the cannoli expert in the documentary Cannoli, Traditions Around the Table. Scola has lectured about Sicily at University of Pennsylvania, The New School, LIU Post University, Queens College, Westchester Italian Cultural Center, at high schools in the New York City metropolitan area, and at events in New York City.
