Andrea Camilleri, who lived from 1925 to 2019, drew renewed attention with a new novel published in Spain three years after his passing, delivering a twist as memorable as his detective fiction. Riccardino marks the completion of a 33-book series featuring the beloved, unconventional inspector Salvo Montalbano, a gastronome who loves his Sicilian homeland as much as the puzzles he solves.
Rafa Vega, owner of Madrid’s award-winning Forneria Ballarò, has long been inspired by Montalbano’s adventures. He has crafted three thematic menus around the detective’s universe in recent years, including To Montalbano and Tavola. In conjunction with the Spanish release of Riccardino by Salamandra, an imprint of the Penguin Random House group, Vega resurrects seven dishes imagined by the commissioner’s cook, Adelina, for a limited engagement from October 15 to November 30.
So calle de Santa Engracia, 90 will host these creations at Premiata Forneria Ballarò, featuring delights such as arancini di ragù, resplendent rice croquettes stuffed with fiordilatte mozzarella, and house-made Bolognese with peas.
This is a nod to Montalbano’s own preferences and culinary passions as he navigates his cases.
Further offerings include caponata di melanzane, a sweet-and-sour dish featuring fresh Sicilian eggplants and basil pesto. Fish enthusiasts will discover beccafico sardines, stuffed and served with a tangy Greek yogurt and parsley sauce on cucumber pickles.
Guests will also find linguini alle vongole with scallops and salted mullet eggs, alongside pasta alla Norma with eggplant, tomato sauce, and Sicilian caciocavallo cheese. And of course, pasta ncasciata, a hearty rigatoni bake with beef stew, eggplant, peas, salami, eggs, and cheese. For dessert, cannoli provides a sweet finish to the meal.
A food documentary
Rafa Vega’s knowledge of Camilleri’s novels shines in the documentary The Last Case of Montalbano, initiated by the Penguin Random House Editorial Group to coincide with Riccardino’s publication in Spain. The film, released on October 10, features Forneria Ballarò’s culinary influence as it explores the book’s impact and its place in a globally celebrated literary epic. The central figure remains the most universal Italian literary character after Pinocchio, a testament to Camilleri’s enduring legacy.
Vega, a devoted reader of Camilleri, discusses the success of the menus in the documentary To Montelbano and Tavola. This feature, shown at Forneria between fall 2020 and spring 2021, presents recipes inspired by the inspector’s books.
The first edition centers on Adelina, the assistant to the hero and a remarkable cook. A second installment offers a winter journey to Vigata, a seaside town in southern Sicily near Montelusa, fictional settings where most of the stories unfold. A third, Livia and Salvo, released in February 2021, honors the long and intricate relationship between Salvo Montalbano and his partner Livia Burlando.
The documentary chronicles Camilleri’s creative process as he weaves these narratives, reflecting the author’s effort to keep his cherished character connected and fully present in his own world. In 2005 Camilleri, then eighty, felt a pressing need to ensure the legend remained alive and lucid for readers.
Riccardino was finally published in Italy a year after Camilleri’s death. The Spanish edition appeared more than three years after his passing in Rome, thrilling a devoted following and weaving in Adelina’s culinary touches from the novels.