When Goethe called Taormina a “piece of paradise on earth,” he may well have been describing the Belmond Villa Sant'Andrea. Built by an aristocratic family in 1830 among lush, subtropical gardens, this secluded retreat possesses all of the charm of a private residence. The hotel enjoys its own stretch of private sand on the secluded Bay of Mazzarò in Taormina and is one of the jewels in Belmond's crown. Once a playground for film stars in the 1950s and 60s and a regular in the summer circuit of the wealthy and famous, with celebrities like Liz Taylor and Richard Burton, the hotel is still a glamorous oasis for international stars. Richard Manley, great grandson of the original owners, recalls the time when film director Francis Ford Coppola contacted him in 1971 while filming scenes for The Godfather. Coppola stayed at the hotel for six weeks with several members of the cast, including Al Pacino. So enamoured was Coppola that he returned for the sequel and threequel and loved to invite other members of the crew to dine with him, cooking spaghetti al pomodoro himself.
These days, executive Chef Agostina D'Angelo brings classic Sicilian cuisine to life with an innovative modern menu offering an array of salads, pastas, grilled fish and the freshest seafood straight from the bay. Arriving for lunch, we were seated at a picture perfect table with sublime views of the Bay of Mazzarò. Beginning with a glass of prosecco, we decided to embrace the sea and ordered Oliviero's fabulous Fritto Misto di Mare, a generous serving of Sicilian red prawns, calamari, anchovies and verdure fritte. There’s a saying in Italian: fritte son bone anche le scarpe, meaning “even a shoe tastes good when it’s fried”. Although fritto misto di mare is prepared all over Italy, in Sicily it's superb. With an exceptional wine list of Sicilian wines, we selected a magnificent Benanti Pietra Marina Etna Bianco Superiore, one of the island's most highly prized wines. Absolutely delicious, it paired beautifully with chef D'Angelo's exquisite Red Prawn Risotto and iconic Sicilian dish — Maccheroni alla Norma with eggplant, tomato and ricotta salt cheese — a specialty of Catania paying homage to Sicily's most beautiful and famous opera of Vincenzo Bellini: Norma.
Arranging wine buckets at each table in the dining room before lunch
Setting the tables with great care at Ristorante Oliviero
The refined and elegant interior of Ristorante Oliviero with sublime views of the Bay of Mazzarò
Chef Agostina D'Angelo's menu of classic Sicilian dishes
The sommelier pouring a fine Benanti Pietra Marina Etna Bianco Superiore,
one of the most highly prized wines from the eastern slopes of Etna
Two wine buckets - one for acqua frizzante and the other for wine
Delicious fresh baked rolls and grissini
View of the Bay of Mazzarò from our table
Sublime Frittura Misto di Molluschi e Crostacei con verdure croccanti with deep fried shrimps, calamari, scampi, king prawns and vegetables
'Norma Catanisi' with homemade Maccheroni, eggplant, tomato and ricotta salata cheese
Luscious Red Prawn Risotto
Pistacchio Gelato Sant’Andrea
Homemade cookies
Executive Chef Agostina D'Angelo
Caponata di verdure in agrodolce
Serves 10
Recipe courtesy of chef Agostina D'Angelo
2 1/2 lb aubergines
10 oz celery
2 medium onions
5 oz pitted green olives
3 1/2 oz capers
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 oz white sugar
1 glass of water
1/2 cup of white vinegar
4 fresh basil leaves
2 cups sunflower oil
Extra-virgin olive oil
Wash the olives and remove the stones. Peel the onions and cut them into fine slices. Cut the celery into small cubes. Blanch all the ingredients in salted water for a few minutes and then drain. Roast all the ingredients in a pot with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. Add the tomato paste and mix. Pour the water and the vinegar and add the sugar. Cook on a slow heat for about 30 minutes, then remove from the heat and add the fresh basil leaves. Set aside and let it cool at room temperature. Peel the aubergines, and cut them into 1/2-inch cubes, then fry them in hot sunflower oil until they are gold and crispy. Drain and set them aside. Once cooled at room temperature, add the aubergines to the other ingredients previously cooked. To serve, form the caponata into short stacks and garnish with sliced hard boiled egg, sun dried tomato and saffron threads.
Spaghetti alla chitarra con vongole veraci
Serves 4Recipe courtesy of chef Agostina D'Angelo
12 oz bronze-drawn durum wheat spaghetti
2 1/2 lb small clams, soaked in cold water and drained
1 garlic clove
1/2 cup fish broth
Parsley
Extra virgin olive oil
Place the clams in a pan with olive oil and a clove of garlic. Sauté and cover with a lid, and cook for a few minutes until the clams are completely open. Remove the clams, shell them and set aside, keeping the obtained stock in the pan. Cook the spaghetti for 6 minutes, drain and continue cooking in the pan with the clam stock. Cook for 4 minutes adding little by little some fish broth prepared previously using sea water, as if it were a risotto. When the natural starches of the pasta are released, add the clams and whisk. Complete with plenty of chopped parsley.
