Baked Pasta alla Tranese
A wonderful vegetarian baked pasta recipe from Puglia.
- Prep time
- 20 min
- Cook time
- 1 hr 30 min
- Yield
- 6 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 500 g cherry tomatoes ((1.1lbs) or datterini)
- 4-5 basil leaves (torn into pieces)
- 500 g pasta tubes ((1.1lbs) I used mezzi maniche rigate from Garofalo)
- 300 g fresh stracciatella cheese ((10.5oz) )
- 45 g pecorino ((1.5oz) grated)
- 45 g Parmesan ((1.5oz) grated)
- 1 garlic clove (crushed)
- breadcrumbs (as required)
- black pepper (to taste)
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small onion (peeled and finely chopped)
- 500 g ripe tomatoes
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- salt (for pasta and to taste)
- fresh parsley ((for serving))
Instructions
- 1
Fry the chopped onion in a little olive oil until translucent
- 2
Add the passata or chopped peeled tomatoes, a pinch of salt and the sugar to reduce the acidity
- 3
Simmer over a medium heat for 15-20 minutes.
- 4
Halve the 500 grams cherry tomatoes and put them to marinate in a bowl with the crushed garlic, basil and a pinch of salt.
- 5
Half cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water, drain and mix with the tomato sauce after keeping aside enough sauce to layer the bottom of your oven dish.
- 6
Ladle the saved sauce into the bottom of an oven dish (earthenware is traditional if you have one).
- 7
Spread a layer of pasta with sauce and season with pecorino and parmesan cheese and half the stracciatella cut into pieces.
- 8
Add a second layer of pasta, seasoned with cheese (pecorino, parmesan and stracciatella) and finish with a layer of pasta.
- 9
Cover the last layer with the marinated cherry tomatoes, garlic and basil
- 10
Sprinkle breadcrumbs and some more grated cheese on top, drizzle with olive oil.
- 11
Bake at 180°c (356°F) for 45 minutes until you will have formed a nice crust on the well-roasted tomatoes.
- 12
Remove from oven, let stand and serve sprinkled with some fresh parsley as required