Sicilian baked anelletti are a first course but they could be a single dish as well. Usually they are prepared for special occasions because they require some time for their preparation. It is a timeless dish, our ancestors prepared it by following their “rules” and their own tastes. The unchanged ingredients are always the same: the typical pasta format, “u capuliato” or the minced meat and finally peas. This traditional Sicilian dish can be customized as you want, for example you can add hard-boiled eggs or Parmigiano Reggiano cheese instead of caciocavallo cheese. This dish of pasta has got an intense taste, that is typycal of Sicilian cuisine, so I suggest you to cook it for for your friends who love strong flavors!
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
- 280 grams anelletti
- 300 grams veal and pork mince
- 200 grams tomato paste
- 80 grams white onion
- 2 peeled garlic cloves
- 150 grams peas
- 350 grams Sicilian black aubergine
- 80 grams Primo Sale cheese
- 50 grams grated Caciocavallo cheese
- Breadcrumbs to taste
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Sunflower oil to taste to fry eggplant
- Water to taste to dilute tomato paste
- Salt to taste
- Coarse salt to taste to drain the eggplant
- Fresh ground white pepper
- Nutmeg to taste
Method
Peel the onion and cut it into slices. Brown with extra virgin olive oil and garlic in a large saucepan. Add the tomato paste, stir and dilute with water. The consistency of the sauce should be neither too thick nor too liquid. Season with salt and pepper and if necessary with sugar as well. Add the meat and peas when the sauce begins to boil. Then season with nutmeg. Cover with a lid and cook over low heat for at least an hour and a half. Stir occasionally. Meanwhile wash and dry the aubergine. Remove the stalk and cut it into cubes, if you can, cut them all the same size so they can have a uniform cooking. Sprinkle with coarse salt and leave to drain for 30 minutes at the most 1 hour. Dice the aubergine cubes, dry them and fry in plenty of warm seed oil. When they are golden, drain them on kitchen paper. Put aside. Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling water, but drain it about 2 minutes before the end of cooking. Drain pasta and season with the ragù sauce, sprinkle with a part of Caciocavallo cheese, add Primo Sale cut into pieces, the aubergine cubes, stir and pour into a large baking tin or in small single portion baking trays. Finally, sprinkle the surface with breadcrumbs and the remaining Caciocavallo. Bake in a preheated oven at 180° Celsius degrees for about 30 minutes. Serve hot.