Orecchiette al Tegamino

This Italian pasta dish combines orecchiette with a seasoned meat sauce, baked with melted cheese in traditional terracotta pans.

Ingredients

• 300 g orecchiette pasta
• 600 g tomato pulp
• 1 clove garlic
• 150 g minced meat
• 150 g scamorza cheese
• 150 g grated pecorino cheese
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
• Salt to taste

Preparation

1. Form small meatballs (max 2 cm diameter) using minced meat, 100 g pecorino, parsley, egg, and salt.
2. Heat oil and crushed garlic in a saucepan; add tomato pulp and simmer 15 minutes, then remove garlic.
3. Add meatballs to sauce and cook another 15 minutes; season with salt.
4. Boil orecchiette in salted water until al dente; drain.
5. Combine pasta with sauce, adding diced scamorza and remaining pecorino; mix thoroughly.
6. Distribute into four terracotta pans and bake at 180°C for 20 minutes.
7. Serve directly in the baking vessels after a brief rest.