Pasta al Forno Siciliana: The Sunday Pasta Nobody Skips

Place the eggs in a small saucepan, cover with cold water, bring to a boil, then cook for 10 minutes. Transfer to ice water, peel, and slice into rounds. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a wide heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes.

Add the ground meat and break it up with a spoon. Cook over medium-high heat until no pink remains and the meat is browned all over, about 8 minutes.

Pour in the wine and let it bubble vigorously, scraping the bottom of the pot, until the alcohol smell is gone and the liquid has almost fully evaporated, about 3 minutes.

Add the passata, season with salt and pepper, and stir to combine. Reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, for 45 minutes. The sauce should be slightly thinner than a regular pasta sauce — this is correct.

Stir in the peas for the last 15 minutes of simmering. Taste and adjust salt. Remove from heat.

Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan / 400°F). Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil.

Cook the pasta for 3 minutes less than the package time (it will finish in the oven). Drain and toss immediately with three-quarters of the ragù so the pasta does not clump.

Grease a 30×22 cm (12×9 inch) baking dish generously with butter. Coat the bottom and sides with half the breadcrumbs, tapping out the excess.

Spread half the pasta mixture into the dish. Layer on the sliced hard-boiled eggs, the cubed prosciutto cotto, and two-thirds of the grated caciocavallo.

Cover with the remaining pasta. Spoon the reserved ragù over the top. Scatter the remaining caciocavallo evenly, then top with the remaining breadcrumbs and dot with the remaining butter.

Bake for 35–40 minutes until the top is deep golden and the edges are pulling away from the sides. Rest the dish for 15 minutes before cutting — the layers will set and it will hold cleanly on the plate.