Wanda Tornabene

Coming Up

Since 1978, Wanda Tornabene has helped shape the restaurant run out of the thirteenth-century abbey Gangivecchio. That length of time marks a practice defined by steadiness rather than reinvention. Her work continues to return to Sicilian cooking, and the abbey setting gives the restaurant a particular weight: the food is presented inside a building that carries centuries in its walls, while her own presence has given the place continuity over decades.

Where They Are Now

Since 1978, she has been co-owner of the restaurant run out of the thirteenth-century abbey Gangivecchio. The span of that role speaks to gradual, sustained work, not a single break or turning point. Tornabene’s focus remains Sicilian cooking, and her presence has helped define the restaurant’s character over time. The result is a place shaped by memory and repetition, where the historic setting and the kitchen’s long attention to regional food reinforce one another.

Career - Co-owner of a restaurant run out of the thirteenth-century abbey Gangivecchio — Gangivecchio, Sicily, Italy (1978–present)

Signature

Wanda's signature dishes include La cucina Siciliana di Gangivecchio, La cucina Siciliana della casa (Sicilian Home Cooking), and 100 Ways to Be Pasta. The titles point to the framework of her cooking: one tied directly to Gangivecchio, one explicitly grounded in home cooking, and one centered on pasta’s range within Sicilian life. Taken together, they describe a practice rooted in place and tradition, with enough breadth to show the reach of the island’s kitchen without leaving it.

FAQ What recognition has Wanda Tornabene received? James Beard Foundation Award (1997). What is Wanda Tornabene known for? Sicilian cooking.