Oven Baked Anelletti, also known as Timballo, is Sicily’s most beloved pasta bake - especially popular for Sunday lunches, festive gatherings, and holidays like Christmas. It may take a bit of time to prepare, but the delighted faces around the table make it all worthwhile!

Anelletti are small ring-shaped pasta, about one centimeter in diameter. In Palermo, baked anelletti is a staple - you’ll find it everywhere from casual eateries to deli counters in local bars. It’s also a cherished homemade dish, so let’s get cooking!

Ingredients:

• 500 g anelletti pasta
• 250 g minced beef
• 250 g minced pork
• 100 g onion
• 150 g tomato concentrate
• 200 g frozen or fresh peas
• 120 g primosale (use mozzarella if don't find primosale)
• 150 ml red wine
• 100 g caciocavallo to grate (or pecorino)
• 50 g breadcrumbs
• 50 g extra virgin olive oil
• 300 ml water
• Salt and black peper to taste
  

Prearation:

1. Clean and finely chop the onion.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large pan on moderate heat and fry the onion for 3-4 minutes.
3. Add both meats leaving it to brown for about ten minutes.
4. Pour in the red wine and wait till the alcohol evaporates (3-4 minutes) then add the tomato paste.
5. Add the water and mix thoroughly.
6. Season with salt and pepper give it another stir and continue cooking for another 30 minutes, keeping the heat low and stirring occasionally.
7. When the time is up, add the peas (fresh or frozen) and cook for another 20 minutes, adding a little water if necessary, and stir from time to time until the sauce has thickened well.
8. Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed.
9. While the sauce is cooking, put a pot of water on the stove to boil and add salt: this will be used to cook the anelletti pasta.
10. Get a baking tray (roughly 20x30 cm size) grease it with a little oil and distribute it carefully along the entire surface. Then sprinkle with breadcrumbs and shake the baking dish so that the crumbs adhere well.
11. Move on to the cheeses, grate the caciocavallo and cut the primosale into cubes. Keep everything aside.
12. Cook the anelletti in the boiling water, draining them 2-3 minutes before the end of cooking time (check the packaging). When ready, plunge them directly into the pan with the now ready sauce.
13. Mix and then add 2/3 of the grated caciocavallo pecorino, (keeping the other 1/3 aside for sprinkling the surface of the dish), then add the primosale in cubes.
14. Mix again and start fill baking tray.
15. Level the surface, distribute everything evenly and sprinkle with the remaining caciocavallo and then breadcrumbs.
16. Finally, cook in a preheated oven at 180°C for about 40 minutes.
17. Wait 5 minutes before removing it from the tray - this way your baked anelletti will remain perfectly shaped when you serve them!
    

Buon appetito!