Pasticcio Ferrarese

Description

It's a mixture made from a sweet, golden shortcrust pastry shell, filled with pasta (usually sedanini or maccheroni, sometimes cappelletti), topped with ragù and béchamel sauce, and flavored with thin slivers of truffle and mushrooms.

Although the origins of this dish are much older (similar dishes were already being prepared using different ingredients in Roman times), the Ferrara version dates back to the 16th century, during the Renaissance banquets so common at the Este court.

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Recipe

Start by browning the ragù by placing the minced pork and veal in a saucepan.
Pour in a splash of white wine and let it evaporate. Let it cook for about ten minutes, and when it is completely absorbed, add a pinch of salt and the truffle. Then continue preparing the béchamel sauce, adding the mushrooms and single cream only at the end.
Knead the pastry dough and, once smooth, refrigerate for at least half an hour.
Cook 350g of macaroni or sedanini pasta until “al dente”, then add them to the ragù and béchamel sauce when lukewarm. Take a 30cm baking dish, butter it, and bake, covering it with a layer of pastry. Arrange the filling in a dome shape (perhaps having already shaped it with the help of a large bowl), and cover with a second pastry disc. Brush with egg yolk and bake at 180°C for 30 minutes, then serve.

Note: Use the pastry scraps to create decorations for the dome.