Pasta 'ncasciataSicilian Baked Pasta

Drain the eggplant

• 1 Cut 600 g eggplant into 1.5 cm half-moons and sprinkle all over with 1 tsp salt.
• 2 Spread in a colander for 20 minutes; when moisture beads on the surface, blot thoroughly with paper towels.

Shallow-fry the eggplant

• 1 MeanwhileWhile frying the eggplant, start bringing 3 L water to a boil in a large pot.
• 2 Heat 120 ml extra virgin olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat and shallow-fry the eggplant in 2–3 batches.
• 3 Cook for 2–3 minutes per side; remove and drain when deeply golden outside and tender inside.

Cut the onion and cheese

• 1 Finely chop 1 onion and 2 garlic cloves.
• 2 Cut 180 g caciocavallo into 1 cm cubes and reserve 30 g for the topping.

Boil and peel the eggs

• 1 Place 2 eggs in cold water over medium heat and boil for 10 minutes once the water boils.
• 2 Cool in cold water, peel and cut each 1 egg into 4 wedges.

Sauté the onion and garlic

• 1 Heat 60 ml extra virgin olive oil in a heavy pot and sauté the onion over medium heat for 6–7 minutes.
• 2 Once translucent and sweet-smelling, add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Brown the meat and reduce the wine

• 1 Add 350 g mixed ground beef and pork and cook over medium-high heat, breaking it up coarsely with a wooden spoon.
• 2 Once no pink remains and a light brown coating forms on the bottom, add 80 ml red wine and boil for 2–3 minutes to cook off the alcohol.

Simmer the ragù

• 1 Add 700 ml passata, 100 g peas, 1/2 tsp salt and black pepper.
• 2 Simmer over medium-low heat for 25 minutes; turn off the heat when a wooden spoon drawn across the bottom briefly exposes it.

Boil the maccheroni

• 1 MeanwhileWhile the ragù simmers, return the previously heated water to a boil.
• 2 Add 30 g salt and boil 360 g maccheroni for 3 minutes less than the package time.
• 3 Reserve 100 ml cooking water.

Coat the baking dish with breadcrumbs

• 1 Preheat the oven to 190°C.
• 2 Grease an ovenproof dish with 1 tsp olive oil and coat its bottom and sides with 30 g breadcrumbs.

Dress the pasta with ragù

• 1 Add the cooked maccheroni to the ragù with 50 g Parmigiano and 50 ml cooking water, and mix.

Layer the filling

• 1 Spread half the pasta in the dish, then layer half the fried eggplant, eggs and caciocavallo on top.
• 2 Repeat with the remainder and scatter the reserved 30 g caciocavallo over the surface.
• 3 Spend about 2 minutes leveling the top; proceed to baking once the cheese is evenly distributed.

Bake the pasticcio

• 1 Bake at 190°C for 25 minutes.
• 2 Remove when the cheese has melted and lightly browned and the pasta at the edges is slightly crisp.
• 3 Rest for 10 minutes, until the layers hold together more readily when portioned.