The recipe for Sicilian 'ncasciata pasta is, we challenge anyone not to know it, the favorite dish of Inspector Montalbano . Baked first course of Sicilian cuisine, it is a rich and satisfying preparation that often finds space on the Sunday lunch menu: impossible to resist.
Sicilian pasta ncasciata, the original recipe
Never as in this case is it impossible to define the original recipe for pasta ncasciata . There are not only so many variations, but also only nuances of the dish (between the Messina , the Ragusana or the one that is tasted in Palermo with the rings ) that it would be too difficult to dare to choose one of them all. But that's what we have to do by giving precedence to one of the most popular versions.
Here's how to prepare pasta ncasciata alla siciliana in a few simple steps with common and easily available ingredients (also on Sicilyaddict , where you can buy quality ones). Any examples? Durum wheat rigatoni , the perfect format for this recipe; the tomato puree , very sweet for exceptional sauces, and still the Nebrodi black pig salami and the organic white wine perfect for a tasty ragout.
How to prepare Sicilian baked pasta ncasciata
The impressions that Camilleri's recipe arouses in Inspector Montalbano when he tastes the pasta ncasciata prepared by his Adelina, alone would be enough to prompt us to run to the kitchen and try our hand at this delicacy. So, if you've never tasted it (you don't know what you're missing), absolutely try it.
The ingredients
- 1/2 kg of short striped pasta
- 3 medium aubergines
- 200 g of minced beef
- 750 ml of tomato puree
- 1 small onion
- 4 boiled eggs
- 200 g of salami
- 250 g of tuma cheese
- 1 glass of white wine
- grated parmesan to taste
- olive oil to taste
- salt and pepper
The preparation
- Prepare the sauce : chop the onion, brown it in a pan with some oil until it is wilted.
- Add the minced meat, brown it well, then pour over the white wine and let it evaporate.
- Now add the tomato puree, salt and pepper and cook over low heat for about 45-50 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cut the aubergines into cubes and sprinkle them with coarse salt. Put them in a colander and cover them with a weight, then let them rest for an hour.
- After this time, squeeze them and fry them in plenty of olive oil. Cut the cheese and salami into cubes.
- Cook the pasta al dente, drain it and dress it with the ragù. Add the salami, the sliced hard-boiled eggs, the tuma cheese, the fried aubergines and mix well.
- Pour into the pan, level well and cover as desired with grated parmesan. Bake in a hot oven at 180 degrees for 20 minutes.
Pasta ncasciata vegetarian
Although it is hard to believe, there is also a vegetarian version of pasta ncasciata , which is prepared with cauliflower . Obviously, nothing prevents you from making it along the lines of this one, eliminating the ragù and salami. If you prefer, you can add fried zucchini to the aubergines, but we think that, all in all, it's quite rich even without it.
Photo | Via Flickr by Sebastian Mary
