Ingredients
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350 g Macaroni
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2 EggHard-boiled
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1 Eggplantround, purple
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100 g Baked hamdiced or use salami
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100 g Caciocavallo cheesefresh
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1 clove Garlic
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400 g Tomato puree
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Basil
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Bread crumbs
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Caciocavallo cheesegrated, to sprinkle on top
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Extra virgin olive oil
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Salt
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Pepper
Directions
Pasta ‘ncasciata is a triumph of flavor and richness. It is a Sicilian-style baked pasta, a unique dish that must necessarily be shared, whether for a family lunch or a gargantuan dinner with friends.
Pasta ‘ncasciata is a Sicilian baked pasta. The one we publish, Palermo-style, is one of the many versions of this unique dish that, with more or less appreciable differences between the ingredients, is widespread throughout the island (for example, in the Messina version, made famous by Camilleri with his Commissario Montalbano, there is also meat sauce).
Generally, short pasta shapes are used, such as macaroni or other helicoidal pasta. The important thing is that the pasta is drained halfway through cooking: passing it through the oven will bring it to completion.
The undisputed stars of pasta ‘ncasciata are eggplant, which must be strictly fried and which some people even prepare the day before so that it is even softer and loses all the oil, and caciocavallo cheese. By caciocavallo, however, here we mean the Sicilian type of cheese that is soft, fresh and stringy. Hard-boiled eggs and cooked ham, or diced salami, complete the work.
Steps
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1
Done
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To make pasta 'ncasciata start by hulling the eggplant and cut it into chunks that are not too small. Place them in a colander and sprinkle them with coarse salt. Let them sit for 1 hour for them to lose their vegetation water. Meanwhile, prepare the hard-boiled eggs, and when they are warm, shell them and cut them into pieces. |
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2
Done
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Also prepare the tomato sauce: in a saucepan, brown the clove of garlic cut in half in olive oil, remove it and add the tomato puree. Season with salt and pepper and add a couple of basil leaves; reduce over low heat for 20 minutes. After the hour has elapsed, rinse the eggplants briefly, squeeze them well and pat them dry with kitchen paper. Fry them in a frying pan with olive oil until nicely browned. Drain them well and transfer them to a plate lined with kitchen paper to remove excess grease. Keep them aside. |
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3
Done
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Cook the macaroni in boiling salted water, bringing them halfway through cooking. Drain and transfer to a bowl with the prepared tomato sauce. Mix well and add the fried eggplant, then the diced baked ham and caciocavallo cheese. Also add the chopped hard-boiled eggs and mix. |
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4
Done
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Grease an oven dish and sprinkle it with breadcrumbs. Spread the pasta inside, sprinkle with more breadcrumbs and the seasoned and grated caciocavallo cheese. Bake in the preheated oven at 180°C (356°F) for 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the pasta 'ncasciata settle for a few minutes before serving. |
