Baked Sicilian anelli-pasta with Fresh Ricotta and Meat Sauce

– chop finely the onion, the carrot and the celery;

– put them into a large saucepan;

– add 2 generous pinches of table salt;

– add around 2 full spoons of extra virgin olive oil and mix well;

– put the saucepan on the stove on medium heat;

– as soon as the oil starts to fry set the heat on low, cover the saucepan and let the vegetables simmer slowly;

– when the vegetables become soft, add the minced meat, rise the heat to medium and stir well for a few seconds;

– blend with the wine;

– add the tomato paste and mix well till it melts completely;

– add the tomato puree and mix well;

– lower the heat once again and let the meat sauce simmer for about 1 hour. Add the peas, the basil and the cinnamon after the first 40 minutes;

– the sauce will be ready when most of the water will have evaporated. You must obtain a creamy sauce, not a liquid one;

– while the meat sauce is simmering, cook the pasta “al dente” separately in abundant salted water;

– drain the pasta with colander and transfer it into a large bowl;

– add the cooked tomato sauce and mix well;

– add the saffron and the grated Ragusano cheese and mix well;

– grease a baking tray (25cm diameter) with some butter and breadcrumbs;

– put half of the pasta in the baking tray;

– spread fresh ricotta on it, and top it with fresh basil leaves;

– cover with the reaming pasta; – spread breadcrumbs on the top together with some thin slices of butter;

– bake at 170 degrees for around 40/50 minutes (or till golden);

– allow to cool down a bit before unfolding the pasta from the baking tray;