The Christmas dish of Ragusa is the unavoidable sfuogghiu made with ricotta and sausage, a dish that is part of Sicilian cuisine and grandmother’s recipes and an ideal preparation to enrich the holiday menu if you don’t know what to cook for Christmas and New Year’s Eve. “U sfuogghiu ragusano with sausage and ricotta” is one of the oldest and most representative savory pastries of the province of Ragusa together with the Scaccia ragusana in its many variants, and many other dishes that are part of the rich peasant tradition of the Iblei area, such as the Cucciddatu scaniatu of Scicli. A Sicilian dish with an intense flavor and a particular texture given by the peculiar layering using lard, different from traditional puff pastry, it wins you over at the first bite and has its roots in the humble recipes of grandmothers. This savory pie, prepared with a thin, crisp, and very simple-to-make layered dough, contains a filling rich in fresh sausage, ricotta, marjoram and black pepper and is a true symbol of Sicilian home cooking.
In tradition, sfuogghiu was prepared mainly in the winter period, when sausage was available fresh after the classic pig butchering. In many families of the Iblei area it was also enjoyed during holidays, particularly at Christmas, New Year’s and during large Sunday gatherings. Still today it represents a convivial holiday dish, perfect to share and ideal as a appetizer, a buffet savory or a substantial main course.
On our blog we often celebrate recipes that tell the true essence of the Sicilian territory and the Ragusano sfuogghiu, different from the equally famous Sfoglio delle Madonie (which is a sweet made with tuma), thanks to its simple yet flavorful filling, fits perfectly among dishes that unite memory, territory and authentic tastes. In preparing the Iblean sfuogghiu, the combination of the sweetness of ricotta and the bold flavor of sausage makes this savory pie irresistible, while the thin layers allow the filling to remain soft, creamy and aromatic when cut. Making the original Ragusano sfuogghiu at home means bringing a piece of Sicilian identity to the table: a rich, tasty dish deeply tied to the culinary culture of the South. Ideal for those who love discovering typical recipes and ancient flavors, sfuogghiu always conquers thanks to its simplicity and authentic taste, and especially because of the particular texture of its layered crust. Let’s go to the kitchen and prepare the “Ragusano sfoglio” together, but before revealing the recipe I remind you that if you want to stay updated on all my recipes you can follow my Facebook page (here) and my Instagram profile (here).

Also take a look at these other recipes for Sicilian savory pies: