Baked Sicilian Anelletti is the recipe for rich and tasty Sicilian baked pasta. I finally managed to find the typical anelletti pasta in a supermarket that sells Sicilian products and, said and done, I prepared the Sicilian anelletti Timballo. A tasty and flavorful baked pasta that I prepared last Sunday for lunch; my son was there too, and he really enjoyed it. Since he was leaving that day, he took 2 portions to eat the next day. Yes, like all baked pastas, it’s even better the next day! A somewhat lengthy preparation, but you can prepare the Meat Ragù in advance as I did, and then the preparation will be much faster. The pasta shape is a typical Sicilian shape, about 2 cm (0.8 inches) anelletti. I consider this recipe as a single dish due to the richness of its seasoning, and I find it perfect to take in your picnic basket for an outing now that the days are finally warmer. The recipe for Sicilian Anelletti was given to me by Mrs. Anna, my sister’s mother-in-law, who was Sicilian and from Palermo. As with all traditional recipes, there are many variations, so I am aware that it may not be the recipe many Sicilians pass down in their families, but it is still very, very good, and I recommend you try it very soon and don’t forget to let me know if you liked it. Let’s run to the kitchen and prepare the original Sicilian Anelletti recipe together
AND DON’T MISS THESE RECIPES:
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 6People
- Cooking methods: Stove, Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 545.41 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 32.52 (g) of which sugars 2.77 (g)
- Proteins 24.74 (g)
- Fat 35.17 (g) of which saturated 8.04 (g)of which unsaturated 16.56 (g)
- Fibers 3.57 (g)
- Sodium 1,327.53 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 200 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 for Sicilian Anelletti Pasta
- 14.1 oz Sicilian anelletti
- 7.1 oz caciocavallo cheese
- 7.1 oz frozen peas
- 1 eggplant (large)
- 1 egg
- 2.1 oz grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (in the pasta water)
- 5 tbsp breadcrumbs
- as needed vegetable oil (for frying the eggplant)
- as needed salt
- 1.1 lbs mixed ground meat
- 20.3 oz tomato sauce
- 1 onion (medium)
- 1 carrot
- 1/2 stalk celery
- 2/3 oz extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 glass red wine
- as needed salt
- 2 leaves bay leaf
How to prepare Sicilian Anelletti
Chop onion, celery, and carrot into small cubes. Pour 3-4 tablespoons of EVOO, vegetables, and ground meat into a pot. Let it sauté over medium heat for a few minutes, stirring often with a wooden spoon. Pour in the red wine and let it evaporate over medium heat.
Add the tomato sauce and half a glass of water. Season with salt, also add the bay leaves, and cook covered over low heat for about 2 hours, making sure it doesn’t dry out too much or stick to the bottom. If it dries too much, add a little water.
Wash the eggplant. Trim the ends and cut it first into thick slices and then into cubes. If you prefer, you can use two medium eggplants instead of one large. Fry the eggplant cubes in hot vegetable or olive oil. Let them brown well, then drain them on kitchen paper.
Cook the peas in boiling water for about 15-16 minutes or even less if you use small peas. I used frozen peas, but you can also use fresh ones. Use a large hole grater to shred the caciocavallo cheese into thin strips. If you prefer, you can simply cut it into cubes.
Cook the Anelletti in plenty of salted water with a tablespoon of oil to prevent them from sticking together. Drain them al dente and pour them into a large bowl.
Add 3/4 of the sauce, peas, caciocavallo, and eggplant to the pasta. Mix well. Oil a large baking dish and sprinkle it with breadcrumbs. Pour the pasta inside, leveling it with a spoon.
Beat one egg with 2-3 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese and pour it over the pasta, trying to distribute it more or less evenly. Season with the remaining ragù, plenty of grated Parmesan cheese, and finally a sprinkle of breadcrumbs. Bake the Sicilian Anelletti in a preheated static oven at 392°F (200°C) for 20 minutes.
See you tomorrow, with a new recipe, hugs, Loredana
Loredana’s Tips
If there is leftover Baked Pasta, store it in the fridge in a container for 2 days, or you can also freeze it. You will just need to warm it up for a few minutes in a hot oven or microwave
If you prepare the ragù in advance, store it in a container in the fridge for 2 days or you can freeze it
For a stronger flavor, you can replace the caciocavallo with spicy provolone cheese
Don’t miss the recipe for my Super Quick Baked Pasta
