Pizza con Quattro Formaggi Dop Siciliani e Confettura di Fichi Siciliani

An invention of contemporary Sicilian pizza-making, the Pizza con Quattro Formaggi Dop Siciliani e Confettura di Fichi Siciliani marries the island's cheesemaking heritage with its tradition of fruit preserves. The dish layers four local, protected-origin cheeses—often including Pecorino Siciliano, Ragusano, and two other DOP varieties such as Provola dei Nebrodi or Caciocavallo Silano—atop a thin, wood-fired crust. What distinguishes a great version is the balance between the sharpness of aged cheeses and the creamy melt of younger ones, cut by a dollop of sweet Sicilian fig jam. The jam, typically made from the DOP Fichi di Cosenza or local varietals like Dottato, should be chunky and barely sweet to avoid overwhelming the dairy. At Sitari in Villaggio Mosè, chef Salvo Guarneri builds the pizza so the confettura adds a final tangy-sweet note just before serving, preventing the sugars from caramelizing prematurely in the oven. Regional variations exist across Sicily: in the Madonie, bakers substitute honey for jam; near Modica, a dusting of bitter cocoa sometimes accompanies the figs. Yet the core remains constant—a celebration of Sicilian DOP products in a single, harmonious pie. For purists, the cheese-to-jam ratio should be about four to one, and the crust must be supple enough to fold without tearing.