Pasta 'Ncasciata Siciliana — The Dish Inspector Montalbano Made Famous

Make the ragu: heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add finely diced onion and cook for 5 minutes until soft. Add minced garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add the minced pork and beef and brown over high heat, breaking up clumps, about 8 minutes. Pour in the red wine and cook until evaporated, about 3 minutes. Add the passata, season with salt and pepper, and simmer partially covered on low heat for 30 minutes. Remove from heat.

While the ragu simmers, cut the eggplant into 2 cm cubes. Toss with a generous pinch of salt and leave in a colander for 15 minutes. Pat thoroughly dry with kitchen paper — surface moisture causes the oil to spit and delays browning.

Heat 200 ml olive oil in a deep frying pan or wok to 180°C. Fry the eggplant in two or three batches without crowding until deep golden, about 4–5 minutes per batch. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined tray and season lightly with salt.

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook the rigatoni 2 minutes less than the package instruction — it must be underdone. Drain, then toss immediately with one-third of the ragu to prevent sticking.

Hard-boil the eggs: lower into simmering water and cook exactly 9 minutes. Transfer to cold water, peel, and slice into rounds about 5 mm thick.

Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan / gas 6). Grease a 24–26 cm round baking dish or deep roasting tin generously with olive oil. Coat the entire interior with breadcrumbs, tapping out any excess.

Assemble the layers. Spread a ladleful of ragu across the bottom of the dish. Add half the pasta, then scatter over half the fried eggplant, half the salami slices, half the sliced eggs, half the torn mozzarella, and a handful of grated caciocavallo. Repeat the layers, finishing with a final layer of pasta on top.

Spoon the remaining ragu evenly over the top layer of pasta. Scatter the rest of the caciocavallo across the surface and dust generously with remaining breadcrumbs. Drizzle lightly with olive oil.

Bake for 35–40 minutes until the top is deep golden and the edges are pulling away from the sides of the dish.

Rest for 10–15 minutes before serving — the cheeses need time to set or the layers will slide. To serve inverted: run a knife around the edge, place a large platter on top, and flip in one confident motion. The breadcrumb shell holds the structure. Scatter fresh basil leaves to finish.