Baked Pasta Sicilian Stylesicilian Pasta Al Forno Recipe 45

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. While the rigatoni cooks in salted boiling water, prepare the sauce. In a saucepan heat up the olive oil and saute the eggplant, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, chile peppers, if using, and garlic, for a few minutes. Add the tomato puree and salt. Let the sauce cook for approximately 10 minutes on medium heat. Drain the rigatoni; add the pasta to the saucepan, sprinkle with some Parmigiano and cook for another 30 seconds. Then place 1/2 the rigatoni in a baking dish, adding a layer of 1/2 the mozzarella, 1/2 the scamorza and another sprinkle of Parmigiano cheese over the pasta. Add the remaining rigatoni, and follow with a final layer of all the cheeses. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Steps:

• Baked Pasta Sicilian Style(Sicilian Pasta al Forno) Ingredients: 1 and 3/4 lbs rigatoni pasta 1 cup tomato sauce 3 eggplants Extra virgin olive oil for frying 1/2 lb meatballs made by cooking meat sauce thick and forming it into balls 1/4 lb mild sausage, coarsely chopped 1/3 lb fresh mozzarella cheese, diced 1 and 1/4 cups grated pecorino cheese with peppercorns inside. 1/2 cup bread crumbs Salt and pepper Directions: It will take about 1 and 1/2 hours to prepare. Begin by preparing the meat sauce, while it's cooking slice the eggplants into half-inch slices, salt the slices and let them sit in a colander for an hour. Rinse the slices, pat them dry, fry them in hot olive oil (a few at a time), then drain them on absorbent paper and slice them into strips. Boil the pasta in lightly salted water and drain it while it's still 'al dente'. Once you have assembled the ingredients, oil a pan large enough to hold them and preheat your oven to 360F. Lay down a first layer of pasta and dot it with meat balls and strips of eggplant. Lay down another layer of pasta and more meatballs and eggplant, continuing until all is used up; distribute the diced mozzarella over the top layer, together with the sliced egg and the bread crumbs. Heat through in the oven for about 20 minutes and serve. Serves 8 or more.