Pasta ncasciata

Keywords:	Italian Cuisine ¦ Sicilian Cuisine ¦ Montalbano ¦ Cult ¦ Eggplant/Aubergine
Translations:	Español
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Pasta n'casciata [enkashiatah] - pressed pasta - is one of those Sicilian dishes of cult standing that are almost unknown outside Italy. In essence, it is macaroni with meatballs in ragù sauce, with sliced harb-boiled eggs, grated pecorino, fried eggplants and garlic. This is gorgeous pasta already but the real kick comes when you bake it in the oven until the pasta becomes crispy all around. This is just insane - layers upon layers of happiness. And all with relatively inexpensive ingredients and some work.

This dish enjoys cult status in Sicily and, as always, has been enshrined in a book by Andrea Camilleri, Italy's most popular living writer. In Terracotta Dog, police detective Montalbano arrives and sees 'in the oven sat enthroned a dish with four portions of pasta ncasciata, a dish worthy of the Olymp. He ate two portions.'

Pasta n'casciata
As a main course for 4
Quantities are approximate, as always in Italian cuisine
2 eggplants
4 eggs (try to buy good eggs)
4 garlic cloves
1 bunch basil
Meatballs in ragù (ready my illustrated recipe) made with 300gr/0.6lbs meat
1kg/2 lbs macaronis
100gr caciocavallo
Breadcrumbs

Start by preparing the meatballs and ragù. You could do this the day before for a simple pasta with meatballs dish and use the extra quantity for pasta n'casciata.

Slice the eggplants and fry them like a sicilian mama.

Here I did it by first frying crushed garlic in olive oil ...

... until the garlic started to turn brown. Then fry the eggplants.

Please read the article How to fry an eggplant like a sicilian mama for the traditional and best way to do it. Note that the fried garlic is an addition welcome by most Sicilian food aficionados. You could also add the garlic in the ragù.

Hard boil your eggs, then shell them and slice them in thick slices.

Grate the caciocavallo. If you can't find this very typical south Italian cheese, you can replace it with pecorino or even parmesan. Of course each will impart your dish a different flavor, but it takes a really special chef to cook a bad dish with such equally good ingredients.

I make my own maccheroni rigati with the Kenwood/Delonghi Pasta Machine - Kenwood the British family company that is. But almost nodoby does, even in Sicily, so you can use bought pasta. Just make sure it is made from semolina (hard wheat) and bronze extruded for an extra coarse surface that sauce will coat well.

Start your oven to high. Fill your largest pot with water, add salt and NO oil and bring this to a rolling boil.

Cook your pasta but keep it quite al dente - undercooked, as it will continue to cook in the sauce.

Choose an oven-resistant dish large enough to accomodate the pasta and all the other ingredients. Oil the inside thoroughly and add as much breadcrumbs as needed to coat the entire surface. This will prevent your pasta from sticking. Just move the dish like a gold digger move her platter.

Now for the final stage. Add just enough pasta to cover the bottom of your dish, then cover with meatballs...

... and proceed with some of the eggplants, garlic and sliced eggs and freshly chopped basil.

Add some of the grated cheese and don't be mean - cheesy is beautiful.

Continue until you run out of ingredients. Top with grated cheese and bake in the oven. Now for the baking there are various ways. Some people do it like a Neapolitan frittata di maccheroni, in a pot on the gas stove. Other put a lid on a put and cover it with hot embers for extra crispiness on top. Most modern cooks do it in the oven, but it will take several trials until you get the really crispy pasta that gives its dish yet another layer of charm.

Remove from the oven and call your guests to the table - they won't have long to wait. Place a plate on top ...

... and turn the baking dish upside down.

Use a knife to pry the pasta n'casciata open ...

Serve.