Pasta alla Pastora, Recipe from Alto Adige (South Tyrol)
This hearty pasta dish from the beautiful Dolomite mountain region in North East Italy is a brilliant recipe for using up leftover ragu. So next time you are planning to make a lasagna or pasta Bolognese make extra sauce and cook once but eat twice!
- Prep time
- 15 min
- Cook time
- 30 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 400 g canneroni pasta ((i4oz) or maccheroni)
- 200 g Bolognese sauce ((7oz))
- 1 white onion (peeled and chopped)
- 100 g fresh peas ((3.5) or frozen)
- 100 g cooked ham (cut into small cubes)
- 200 g mushrooms ((70z) I used white button mushrooms)
- 150 ml fresh cream ((5 fl oz))
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- salt (for pasta and to taste)
- black pepper (to taste)
- fresh parsley (chopped for serving)
Instructions
- 1
If you aren't using leftover Bolognese sauce follow the recipe in the link in the recipe notes to make Bolognese. This sauce takes a while to cook but you can make it the day before and I'd suggest making enough for 2 meals.
- 2
Peel and chop the onion, clean and slice the mushrooms and shell the peas if using fresh peas.
- 3
Cook the onion in some olive oil in a deep frying pan until it starts to soften. Add the mushrooms, ham and peas and cook covered, on a low heat, for approx. 20- 15 minutes. If the sauce seems dry add a little stock or water. Fresh peas may need slightly longer. Check they are cooked before adding the ragu.
- 4
Meanwhile bring a pot of water to the boil for the pasta, add salt when it starts to boil and add the pasta once it starts to boil again. Cook the pasta al dente according to the instructions on the packet.
- 5
When the peas, ham and mushrooms are ready, add salt and pepper to taste. Then add the meat sauce and the cream.
- 6
When the pasta is ready, drain it and add it to the sauce. Mix everything together well and then sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.