Anelletti al Forno alla Palermitana

Method

1. Prepare the Sicilian ragù: sauté a trito of celery, carrot and onion in olive oil; add mixed minced meat and brown; deglaze with red wine; add triple concentrated tomato paste, tomato sauce, water, sugar, pepper and bay leaves; cover and simmer for 2 hours; add peas and cook 20 more minutes; adjust salt at the end.
2. Cut the eggplant: slice three lengthwise slices about 1 cm thick; dice the remaining eggplant into small cubes.
3. Fry the eggplant slices and cubes in abundant olive oil until golden brown; drain on paper towels.
4. Make the béchamel: melt butter in a saucepan; when it turns light hazelnut, add all the flour at once and stir; cook for 1 minute; gradually add warm milk in three additions, stirring constantly to prevent lumps; bring to a boil and cook for 2–3 minutes; season with salt and nutmeg.
5. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
6. Cook the anelletti pasta in salted boiling water for exactly half the package time (e.g., 5 minutes if package says 10); drain well.
7. Grate the pecorino siciliano and parmigiano (or grana padano).
8. In a large bowl, toss the drained pasta with enough ragù to coat, the fried eggplant cubes, and some of the grated cheese mix.
9. Grease a 22–24 cm cake pan with olive oil and coat the bottom and sides with breadcrumbs; discard excess crumbs.
10. Spread a ladle of ragù on the bottom of the pan.
11. Add a layer of the pasta mixture, then dot with béchamel (about 1 tablespoon per dot); repeat layers of pasta and béchamel until all pasta is used, reserving a little béchamel for the top.
12. Arrange the fried eggplant slices decoratively on top.
13. Spoon the remaining béchamel over the eggplant slices.
14. Sprinkle with pepper, a little breadcrumbs, and the rest of the grated cheese mix to cover the surface.
15. Bake for about 35 minutes (30–40 minutes, depending on oven) until golden and crispy on top.
16. Let rest a few minutes before serving.