Pasta ‘ncasciata: Inspector Montalbano’s favorite dish

Ingredients and recipe to prepare a delicious first course, pasta 'ncasciata: the delicious pasta with aubergines so loved by Inspector Montalbano!

Pasta 'ncasciata is a dish based on macaroni seasoned with meat sauce, fried aubergines, diced caciocavallo cheese and other ingredients. A recipe that is certainly known to fans of Montalbano's books and fiction : it is the famous Commissioner's favorite dish.

Have you ever thought about making it at home with your own hands? Here is the recipe to make this amazing baked pasta!

Preparation of Sicilian 'ncasciata pasta

1. Let's start by preparing the ragu. Peel and finely chop the carrot and onion, then fry in a saucepan with a drizzle of oil for a few minutes.
2. When the sautéed mixture is ready, add the mixed minced meat and brown it over high heat for a few minutes, then add the white wine.
3. Once the alcohol has evaporated, add the tomato puree, lower the heat and simmer for about 1 hour with the lid on .
4. At the end of the hour, add the peas to taste and let everything cook for another ten minutes, finally season with salt and pepper.
5. Now clean the aubergines well under cold running water, peel them, dry them and cut them into slices and then into cubes.
6. Mix the aubergines with a couple of tablespoons of coarse salt and pour them into a colander, cover with a lid, place a weight on top and leave to rest for an hour so that the vegetables lose part of their vegetable liquid. (You can save time by doing this step while the gravy is cooking).
7. Once the aubergines have rested, pass them under water then dab them well so that the water can drip off .
8. Fry the cubes in hot seed oil, brown well then drain; let them drain on a plate lined with absorbent paper.
9. Cook the macaroni in a pot of salted water and drain when al dente.
10. Pour the ragù into a saucepan, add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and the basil , then season the pasta.
11. Also add the fried aubergines, the ham , a sprinkling of pepper, the hard-boiled eggs and the fresh cheese cut into cubes.
12. Grease a pan and sprinkle the bottom of a baking dish with breadcrumbs, pour the pasta over it and sprinkle with more breadcrumbs and grated cheese to finish.
13. Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C and cook for about 20 minutes .

And here is a simple video recipe to prepare the first course at home without mistakes:

For another Sicilian-inspired dish, you can also try the caponata ! Those who love this vegetable, on the other hand, will find bread for their teeth with ourrecipes with aubergines !

Read also

Sicilian pasta… and don't call it baked pasta!

storage

Keep the pasta 'ncasciata in the fridge, well covered or closed in a container for about 2 days . Alternatively, you can freeze it, however, stopping the cooking halfway through and defrosting it directly in the oven if necessary.