If you grew up in Sicily like chef Salvatore Fraterrigo, you’d have vivid memories of the hot Sicilian summers spent by the beach during the 70s and 80s. Back in those days, Sicilian families used to prepare food for the beach a day ahead to share with the family on the shore. The traditional anelletti al forno was always one of the most popular dishes at the beach and all year round.
This oven-baked pasta with its ring shapes is actually quite easy to make, and more importantly, can be prepared in advance for family dinners, friends gatherings and holiday meals.
Chef Salvatore Fraterrigo
Chef Salvatore Fraterrigo – Head Chef and Owner of Norma Gastronomia Siciliana restaurant in New York City – grew up in Trapani but also lived in Palermo. He considers anelletti al forno to be his version of comfort food. “I remember when we went to Mondello, the most famous beach in Palermo, and we’d bring the anelletti al forno with us. The smell of the ragù was all over the beach. It was the perfect dish after a long and tiring day.”
In the city of Palermo, you can also find anelletti al forno in all the classic rosticcerie (Italian specialty stores with pre-cooked dishes), where it’s usually served on small square trays like street food
Anelletti al Forno by Salvatore Fraterrigo
Serves 8
Ingredients:
17 oz Sicilian anelletti pasta
9 oz ground pork
9 oz ground beef
2 eggplants
1 carrot
2 stalks of celery
7 oz peas
1 ½ quarts tomato sauce
7 oz tomato paste
1 glass of red wine
1 onion
1 clove of garlic
A few basil leaves
33 oz milk
7 oz butter
2 oz flour
9 oz tuma or primosale cheese
3 bay leaves
2 oz pecorino cheese, grated
Toasted breadcrumbs
6 thin slices of mortadella
Extra-virgin olive oil
Seed oil
Grated black pepper
Sea salt
Method:
For the ragù
Finely chop the onion along with the carrot, celery, parsley and garlic to sauté in a pan with plenty of oil. Once the onion is translucent, add the ground meat and brown over high heat for a few minutes. Then add the red wine. Let the alcohol cook off, then add the tomato paste and tomato sauce. Add the bay leaf, season with salt and pepper and let cook over medium heat for 1 ½ hours, stirring often. The ragù should have a fluid, creamy consistency by the end of cooking. Halfway through cooking, add the peas.
For the béchamel
Add the cold milk to a pan with a pinch of salt, nutmeg, and black pepper. Then whisk in the flour gradually to keep lumps from forming, followed by 7 oz butter. Turn on the heat to low and continue whisking until the sauce starts to thicken. Towards the end of cooking, use a spatula to stir and then remove from heat once the desired consistency is reached.
For the anelletti pasta
Slice the eggplant into 2-inch thick pieces and transfer them to a colander. Sprinkle with coarse salt and let the eggplants rest for about 30 minutes to remove excess bitter liquid. Then rinse the eggplants with running water and dry them with a cloth. Pour plenty of seed oil into a saucepan and fry the eggplant. As soon as they are cooked, transfer the fried eggplant to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and use it to cook the pasta. Drain al dente and transfer it back to the pan. Stir the pasta into the béchamel sauce with a spoonful of pecorino cheese. Add just a little less than a cup of the meat sauce. Then grease a baking pan with some butter and sprinkle it with breadcrumbs. Pour half of the pasta into the dish. Level it out evenly and cover it with a layer of eggplants, followed by a layer of chopped basil, sliced primosale cheese, prosciutto, and ragù. Then sprinkle with more grated pecorino. Then you’ll add the rest of the pasta. Finish with breadcrumbs and butter flakes. Bake in the oven at 400°F for about 30 minutes. Let the pasta rest before serving (for a more solid consistency).