Original baked anelletti recipe, typically cooked on August 15th, but really any day is good to prepare them. In Sicily, on Sundays and public holidays, baked pasta is prepared. The main dish is baked pasta, and every city on the island has its own. Like the ‘ncaciata pasta from Messina or the macaroni from Ragusa and, of course, the anelletti in Palermo. Forgive me if I don’t mention them all, obviously there are many more. Each region, preserves respect for culinary traditions and values fundamental ingredients like herbs and spices that characterize a dish uniquely. All baked anelletti recipes vary from city to neighborhood and family, of course. All recipes have in common anelletti, ground veal, tomato with caciocavallo cheese. Tomato extract (which is used everywhere in Sicily); the rest is optional, like hard-boiled eggs or pork. Some also add ham.
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 50 Minutes
- Portions: 12
- Cooking methods: Oven, Frying
- Cuisine: Regional Italian
- Region: Sicily
- Seasonality: Ferragosto, All Seasons
- Energy 605.55 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 37.09 (g) of which sugars 3.85 (g)
- Proteins 40.87 (g)
- Fat 31.29 (g) of which saturated 7.02 (g)of which unsaturated 6.31 (g)
- Fibers 4.93 (g)
- Sodium 1,485.21 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 330 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 14 oz ground pork
- 1 glass dry white wine
- 1 oz sofrito mix
- 1.5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 leaves bay leaves
- 1.5 lb tomato puree
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2.2 lbs Sicilian anelletti
- 6 eggs
- 9 oz caciocavallo cheese
- 2 eggplants
- 6 oz grated parmesan cheese
- 4 bunches basil
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 10.5 oz frozen peas
Tools
- Pot
- Vegetable Chopper
- Peeler
- Microwave
- Grater
- Kitchen Scale
- Wooden Spoon
Steps
You can see how much I love this pasta format from the recipes I’ve prepared, which can mainly be found in Sicily but have also been available in Rome for a couple of years.
I prepare the meat sauce: in the pot, with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, I brown the sofrito mix. I add the two types of ground meat and brown them until they are golden. I pour in the white wine and, as soon as it evaporates, I add the tomato paste and puree. I adjust the salt, add fresh bay leaves, and let it cook for 1 hour.
I boil the anelletti for 5 minutes and cool them in cold water to stop the cooking. I prepare the grated parmesan and cut the caciocavallo cheese into small pieces.
With the peeler, I peel the eggplants and cut them into large cubes with the vegetable chopper. I season them with salt and oil, place them on parchment paper on the crisp plate, and cook them at maximum power for 20 minutes in crisp mode in the microwave.
When everything is ready, I assemble the ingredients.
First, I mix the anelletti with the meat sauce. Without dirtying other bowls, I do it in the pot where I boiled the pasta. I leave a cup of sauce for the last layer.
I add the eggplants cooked in the microwave; if you prefer, you can also fry them.
I add basil, which never hurts and smells fantastic.
I use my incredible 28 cm cocotte for 12 people to go in the oven, which always saves me when there are so many of us.
I start arranging the anelletti without oiling or breadcrumbs, because the mineral non-stick coating of the pot prevents food from sticking.
I season with eggs, caciocavallo, and parmesan.
Another layer of pasta.
Down the last cut eggs.
The caciocavallo.
And the grated parmesan.
Last round of seasoned pasta.
Finally, add the cup of meat sauce left before.
Parmesan and some pieces of caciocavallo.
Let’s bake it!
35 minutes at 375°F and this is the result.
This is my original baked anelletti recipe for Ferragosto.
Variations
Here is a variation of baked anelletti without pre-cooking the pasta.
https://blog.giallozafferano.it/vaipinacucina/anelletti-al-forno-senza-precottura/
https://blog.giallozafferano.it/vaipinacucina/anelletti-al-forno-senza-precottura/
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Where can I find Palermo-style anelletti?
Nowadays they are easily found in supermarkets or in stores specialized in gastronomy. At least in Rome, I no longer have difficulty finding them.
