Anellini Siciliani al Forno - Baked Anellini ___

Anellini Siciliani al Forno - Baked Anellini

Ingredients

For the Meat:

  • 1 pound ground mixed meat (beef, pork and veal)
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 0.25 cup plain bread crumbs
  • 0.25 cup grated pecorino cheese
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 28 ounces crushed tomatoes, use 1/2 cup for to brown the meat and the remainder for the Tomato Sauce
  • 0.5 cup peas
  • 2 basil leaves
  • salt & pepper, as desired

For the Tomato Sauce:

  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • remainder of the can of crushed tomatoes from above
  • 0.5 cup water
  • 2 basil leaves
  • 0.5 cup peas
  • salt & pepper, as desired

For the Bechamel Sauce:

  • 4 ounces butter
  • 0.5 cup all purpose flour
  • 2 cups milk, lukewarm
  • 0.5 cup grated Parmigiano cheese
  • black pepper, as desired
  • pinch nutmeg

For the Pasta:

  • 1 pound Anellini pasta

Directions

Get the Ingredients needed for this Recipe HERE

For the Meat:

  1. In a large bowl add the ground meat and the egg. Mix well with your hands.
  2. Add the bread crumbs, the garlic and the pecorino cheese and mix well.
  3. Add salt and pepper as desired. Mix well and set aside.
  4. In a large saute pan, add the chopped onion and the extra virgin olive oil.
  5. Once the onion is translucent, add 1/2 cup crushed tomatoes.
  6. Stir and add 1/2 cup of peas. Add salt and pepper as desired.
  7. Add the basil torn with your hands.
  8. Saute the sauce for 2-3 minutes and add the ground meat.
  9. Keep on breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon until it completely browns. Once it is browned, set is aside.

Make the Tomato Sauce:

  1. In a sauce pot add 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, the chopped onion and the chopped garlic.
  2.  Once the onion and garlic have turned golden, add 1/2 cup of the browned meat.
  3. Stir for 1 minute and add the crushed tomatoes. Add 1/2 cup of water to the tomato can to wash it and pour into the pot.
  4. Add the basil and the peas.
  5. Add salt and pepper as desired and let the sauce simmer for about 10 minutes. Set aside.

Make the Bechamel sauce:

  1. In a small pot at low flame, add the butter and let it melt.
  2. Once the butter has completely melted, add the flour and stir it into the butter.
  3. Little by little add the milk while you continuously stir.
  4. Once you have a cream add the Parmigiano as well as salt and pepper.
  5. Mix well and add the nutmeg. Give it a stir and set aside.
  6. Cook the Anellini pasta in salted water for about 10 minutes, once done, blanch the pasta and set aside.

Assemble the dish:

  1. Preheat the oven at 425F.
  2. Add 1 cup of tomato sauce to the pasta and mix well.
  3. In a 9x13 baking pan add a coating of sauce to the bottom.
  4. Add 1/2 of the pasta and spread it well.
  5. Add a generous coating of bechamel sauce.
  6. Add a layer of the browned meat.
  7. Sprinkle some Parmigiano cheese and add a thin coating of tomato sauce.
  8. Add another layer of pasta, bechamel sauce, meat and a sprinkle of Parmigiano.
  9. Add another thin layer of tomato sauce followed by the rest of the pasta.
  10. Top with the remaining bechamel sauce and a thin sprinkle of tomato sauce.
  11. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.
  12. Let the dish rest for at least 30 minutes before serving.