This dessert epitomizes the Sicilian pastry tradition. It was created as a delicacy for Easter, but nowadays it can be offered at the end of a meal throughout the year, including its lesser-known Palermo version, which is baked and just as delicious.
An Arab name that comes from its container
The combination of the basic ingredients comes from the Arab domination of Sicily, which began in the 9th century. Arabs greatly influenced the culinary landscape of the island: they introduced here pistachios, citruses, rice, almonds, raisins, and sugar cane.
According to local legends, it was an Arab shepherd who first mixed the ricotta cheese with some sugar into a container called quas ‘at. Not knowing what to call it, he drew inspiration from the dish itself and hence: cassata.
To each domination its ingredient
The Arab chefs working for the Emir were responsible for crafting the sweet and nutritious dough into shortbread, baking it, and serving warm (although nowadays the dessert is served cold).
During the Norman period, common additions were pasta reale or martorana (an almond paste named after the Martorana convent in the heart of Palermo).
The Spanish conquerors contributed the sponge cake and the chocolate. Modifications in the measurements of these ingredients, and the introduction of candied fruit, pistachios, and pine nuts, have given us the cassata we know today.
In 1873 a Sicilian pastry chef in a Vienna dessert competition first decorated the cassata to give it a more appetizing aesthetic. It was a smashing success, and at that point the Sicilian dish began to conquer the aristocratic tables of Europe.
The right wine
The best wines to accompany this classic, rich dessert are sweet wines produced in Sicily from grapes left to dry before the harvest. Try Malvasia from the Lipari islands, Moscato from Pantelleria, and some kinds of Marsala Superiore (just ensure they are sweet).
