Baked Anelletti

• First make the meat sauce.
• Chop the carrot, onion, garlic and celery finely. Fry the vegetables in olive oil until they start to soften. Be careful not to let them to burn!
• Add the minced meat and cook until browned. Add the glass of red wine and stir well
• When the wine has evaporated pour in the passata and mix it in well with the meat. Add the fresh basil and salt and pepper as required.
• Cover the sauce and allow to simmer on a low heat for at least an hour, stirring occasionally so it doesn’t stick. If it gets too thick add some water.
• 10 minutes before the sauce is cooked, add the peas.

While the sauce is cooking you can get on with the rest of the dish.

• Put water on to boil for the pasta. Add salt once it starts to boil. Cook the pasta 2-3 minutes less than instructed on the packet. Drain and add the anelletti to the meat sauce when it is ready. Mix the pasta and sauce well and allow to cool.
• Grease the sides and base of a deep cake tin with olive oil (I use a spring form tin which makes getting the timballo out easier!)
• Line the sides and base of the tin with breadcrumbs.
• Once the pasta and meat mixture has cooled spoon a thick layer into the base of the tin.
• Make another layer from the chopped ham and caciocavallo cheese and finish off with another thick layer of the pasta and meat sauce.
• Press the mixture down and cover the top with more breadcrumbs and grated parmesan cheese.
• Cook the timballo at 200 degrees in a preheated oven for 25-30 minutes.
• When it is ready, allow to cool for 15 minutes before inverting it onto a serving plate and removing the tin.