Baked pasta
This is a dish for grand occasions, such as wedding or Christmas. Some gourmet Neapolitans add fresh truffles, but personally I think that is going a little too far.
Serves: 8
Ingredients:
- 800 g (1 1/2 lb) pasta, such as maccaroni, ziti or penne (fresh or dried)
- 450 g (1 lb) mozzarella cheese, cut into small cubes
- 200 g (7 oz) freshly grated Parmesan
Ingredients for sauce:
- 400 g (14 oz) fresh porcini, chopped or 400 g (14 oz) of cultivated mushrooms plus 25 g (1 oz) dried porcini
- 100 ml (3 1/2 fl oz) olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) chicken livers and hearts
- 1 small glass white wine
- 1 kg (2 1/2 lb) ripe tomatoes, de seeded and chopped
- Beautiful of chopped basil
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Preparation:
For the sauce, soak the dried porcini mushrooms in warm water for 30 minutes, then drain them. Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the onion and garlic until softened. Add the chicken livers and hearts and cook over a medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring all the time. Add the mushrooms and cook for a few minutes. Pour in the wine and boil to evaporate a little. Add the tomatoes and basil and cook gently for 40 minutes. Season to taste. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6. Cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling salted water for half its normal cooking time., then drain and mix with a little of the sauce. Take a round or square 25-30 cm (10-12 in) baking tin or ovenproof dish about 7.5 cm (in) deep and, commercing with pasta, build layers of pasta and sauce, scattering mozzarella cubes and grated Parmesan in between. Finish with sauce and Parmesan. Bake for 25 minutes and then serve.
