'Vesuvius of rigatoni' – rigatoni with Neapolitan ragù
- Main
- Medium
- 4
- 2 hours 30 minutes
PT2H30M
Ernesto Iaccarino recreates Mount Vesuvius in this showstopping pasta recipe. The chef builds the slopes of the volcano with rigatoni pasta and fills it with a molten core of meatballs, ricotta and mozzarella. The dish is smothered in a Neapolitan ragù 'lava' splashed liberally with mozzarella and basil sauces for an explosive main course.
Ingredients
Neapolitan ragù
- 300g of diced beef
- 400g of pork mince
- 300g of pork sausages, chopped
- 150g of carrots , finely diced
- 250g of onion, finely diced
- 125ml of red wine
- 2kg passata
- olive oil
- salt
Mozzarella sauce
- 500g of mozzarella cheese
- 20g of cornflour
- 500g of milk
- salt
Basil sauce
- 200g of basil leaves
- 1 dash of olive oil
- salt
Rigatoni Vesuvius
- 36 rigatoni pasta pieces
- 20g of loaf of white bread, sliced
- 10g of milk
- 50g of minced beef
- 50g of pork mince
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- 1 tsp chopped parsley
- plain flour for dusting
- 2 San Marzano tomatoes , sliced
- 300g of mozzarella cheese
- 70g of peas
- 10g of onion, finely sliced
- 100g of ricotta
- 2 egg yolks , boiled
- olive oil
- salt
To serve
- 4 sprigs of basil
Equipment
- 10cm mould (4)
- Hand blender
- Thermometer
- Food processor
Method
1
To make the ragù, add a dash of oil to a pan and sauté the carrot and onion until soft. Stir in the meat and fry until browned
- 250g of onion, finely diced
- 150g of carrots , finely diced
- 300g of pork sausages, chopped
- 300g of diced beef
- 400g of pork mince
- salt
- olive oil
2
Deglaze the pan with the wine, season with salt and stir in the passata. Leave to simmer for at least 2 hours, stirring the sauce occasionally
- 125ml of red wine
- 2kg passata
3
For the mozzarella sauce, add a dash of water to the cornflour and stir to form a thick yet pourable consistency
- 20g of cornflour
4
Blitz the mozzarella to a thick paste in a food processor, transfer to a pan with the the milk and bring to 90°C. Stir in the cornflour to thicken and, if necessary, pass the sauce through a sieve. Season with salt and set aside
- 500g of mozzarella cheese
- 500g of milk
- salt
5
For the basil sauce, blanch the basil leaves in a pan of boiling salted water for 20 seconds then cool immediately in iced water
- 200g of basil leaves
6
Gently squeeze the leaves to remove any excess water, blitz together with the olive oil and season. Keep cool until ready to serve
- 1 dash of olive oil
- salt
7
For the core of the volcano, soak the slices of bread in the milk then squeeze to remove any excess liquid. Mix together with the minced meat, chopped garlic and parsley (preferably with your hands)
- 10g of milk
- 20g of loaf of white bread, sliced
- 50g of pork mince
- 50g of minced beef
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- 1 tsp chopped parsley
8
Shape into balls roughly 1cm in diameter with your hands, roll in a little flour and brown in a saucepan over a medium heat
- plain flour for dusting
9
Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4
10
Bring a pan of salted water to the boil, pour in the rigatoni and blanch for 30 seconds. Drain and leave to cool
- salt
- 36 rigatoni pasta pieces
11
Once the ragù is ready, remove from the heat, pass through a sieve and adjust the seasoning with salt if required
- salt
12
Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper, grease the 10cm moulds with a little olive oil and place them on the tray
- olive oil
13
Line the base of each mould with a slice of tomato and place a layer of chopped mozzarella over the tomato, reserving a few handfuls for the top. Embed the rigatoni in a circle around the circumference of the mozzarella
- 2 San Marzano tomatoes , sliced
- 300g of mozzarella cheese
14
Sauté the peas in a pan with a drizzle of olive oil with the finely sliced onions. Season with salt
- 70g of peas
- 10g of onion, finely sliced
- olive oil
16
Cook in the oven for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven and leave to cool upside down on the baking trays for 5 minutes. Gently reheat the ragù
17
To serve, turn out a Vesuvius into the centre of each plate, cover with the 320g of the ragù and decorate with 120g of the mozzarella sauce. Drizzle over the basil sauce, garnish with sprigs of basil and serve
- 4 sprigs of basil
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'Vesuvius of rigatoni' – rigatoni with Neapolitan ragù
