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Baked pasta 'pasticciata' with Sicilian ragù

17/11/2023

The “baked pasta ‘pasticciata’” with Sicilian ragù is a rich and flavorful dish, a variant of the classic ragù that also includes peas, hard-boiled eggs, and often fried eggplants. Here’s how to prepare it.

Ingredients

  • 500 g of short pasta (such as penne, rigatoni, or maccheroni)
  • 700 g of tomato passata
  • 300 g of ground meat (mixture of pork and beef)
  • 200 g of fresh or frozen peas
  • 2 hard-boiled eggs
  • 1 eggplant (optional)
  • 100 g of caciocavallo or Sicilian pecorino, grated
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 3-4 basil leaves
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Bread crumbs (optional)
  • Oil for frying (if using eggplant)

Preparation

  1. Begin by preparing the ragù: in a large pan, sauté the chopped onion in extra virgin olive oil. Add the ground meat and let it brown until it is well golden.

  2. Add the tomato passata, basil, salt, and pepper. Let it cook on low heat for about 1 to 1.5 hours, stirring occasionally.

  3. If you decide to use the eggplant, cut it into cubes and fry them in a generous amount of hot oil until they become golden, then drain them on paper towels to remove excess oil.

  4. Separately, boil the peas for a few minutes in salted water, drain them and set aside.

  5. Boil the pasta in plenty of salted water until it’s almost al dente, as it will continue cooking in the oven. Drain the pasta and mix it with some of the prepared ragù.

  6. Cut the hard-boiled eggs into small pieces.

  7. In a baking dish, create alternating layers of pasta with ragù, peas, fried eggplants, and hard-boiled eggs. Sprinkle each layer with grated cheese.

  8. Finish with a layer of pasta and a generous dusting of cheese and, if desired, a bit of breadcrumbs for a crispy crust.

  9. Bake at 180 °C for about 20-30 minutes or until the surface is golden and crispy.

  10. Let rest for a few minutes before serving.

Curiosity

This type of ‘pasticciata’ baked pasta is very widespread in Sicily during holidays or Sunday family lunches. It is a rich and complete dish, combining different flavors and textures, making it suitable as a main course. The term “pasticciata” comes from the fact that the ingredients are “messed up” together, that is mixed in a way to create a balance of tastes with every bite.

Baked pasta 'pasticciata' with Sicilian ragù