Anelletti al Forno Palermitani
Ring-shaped pasta timballo with ragù and peas
A Palermo pasta timballo made with little anelletti rings, beef-and-pork ragù, peas, primosale and a breadcrumb crust.
Plus 10 min for resting the timballo; included in the total time below.
Palermo, Sicily
The regional version.
Palermo’s breadcrumb-crusted timballo with meat ragù and peas, without an aubergine wrapper.
- Anelletti rings distinguish the Palermo timballo.
- A concentrated beef-and-pork ragù contains peas.
- Primosale and caciocavallo sit inside a breadcrumb-lined bake.
Technique: ring-shaped pasta timballo with ragù and peas
Keep enough moisture in the ragù to finish cooking the rings. For neat slices, let the bake stand; cutting it immediately will cause the hot cheese and pasta to spread.
The recipe
Anelletti al Forno Palermitani
Includes 10 min for resting the timballo.
Ingredients
Main
Method
- 1
Soften onion in 30 ml oil. Add beef and pork and brown for about 10 minutes, breaking up clumps.
- 2
Add wine and let it reduce. Stir in tomato paste and water, then simmer gently for 30 minutes.
- 3
Add peas and cook about 20 minutes more, until the ragù is thick. Adjust seasoning and liquid as necessary.
- 4
Heat the oven to 180°C. Oil a 30 × 20 cm dish and coat with half the breadcrumbs.
- 5
Boil anelletti several minutes short of their packet time. Drain and mix with ragù, primosale and grated caciocavallo.
- 6
Fill the dish, press lightly and scatter remaining crumbs with the last oil. Bake for about 35–40 minutes.
- 7
Check that the pasta is tender at the centre. Rest for 10 minutes before serving or attempting to unmould.
The version on this page
Palermo’s breadcrumb-crusted timballo with meat ragù and peas, without an aubergine wrapper.
- Anelletti rings distinguish the Palermo timballo.
- A concentrated beef-and-pork ragù contains peas.
- Primosale and caciocavallo sit inside a breadcrumb-lined bake.
Cooking it well
Keep enough moisture in the ragù to finish cooking the rings. For neat slices, let the bake stand; cutting it immediately will cause the hot cheese and pasta to spread.
Serving and planning
Serve with a crisp green salad. Aubergine-lined versions are another local variation, not a required addition to this one.
Allow 10 additional minutes for resting the timballo. This is included in the total recipe time, alongside active preparation and cooking.
Explore the Sicilian cooking guide for related dishes and pantry notes.
Storage
Refrigerate cooked leftovers promptly in a covered container and use within 3 days.
Freezing
Freeze cooked portions for up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Fresh pasta, vegetables and cheese can soften after thawing.
Reheating
Reheat only the portion required until piping hot throughout. Add a little water if the sauce has thickened.
Keep cooking
You might also like
2 hrs 50 minSicilian · Oven
Pasta ’Ncasciata Messinese
Messina’s rich baked pasta with slow meat ragù, fried aubergines, hard-boiled eggs, salame, peas and melting caciocavallo.
3 hrs 25 minEmilian · Stovetop
Tagliatelle al Ragù Bolognese
Egg tagliatelle with beef and fresh pancetta ragù, wine, a little tomato and optional milk.
5 hrs 30 minCampanian · Stovetop
Ziti alla Genovese
Naples’ genovese: beef slowly cooked with abundant onions, carrot, celery and white wine until the onion becomes a rich pasta sauce.