Pasta ‘Ncasciata

A little known, outside of Sicily, lovely baked pasta dish, brimming with flavours - a few steps to it but easy and delicious, aubergines take the lead and this will feed many for not much. Recipes vary but try mine.

Method

1 Slice lengthways your aubergines and wash in running water for a few minutes, drain thoroughly and then place on a hot oiled try in an oven - brown both sides. When cooled a bit cut in half.

2 Use either mince or sausage meat and brown with an onion, add passata and make a simple ragu, simmer a while then add a mug full of frozen peas.

3 Hard boil two eggs, peel when cool enough to handle.

4 Cook till half way through some small (tube) pasta such as penne.

5 Chop up some fresh ham and some salami, dice a pack or two of mozzerella.

Mix some of the ragu into your drained pasta, add chopped eggs, ham, salami, cheese and aubergine pieces, add half a cup of parmesan. Mix it up and season.

Pour the mixture into a large oven dish and cover with the rest of the ragu and remaining cheese. Cover with tin foil for the first 15 mins and bake for between twenty to thirty minutes at 180.

Enjoy