Today we present one of the simplest dishes of the Campania and Neapolitan tradition on feast days. We will certainly prepare it in less time than that used, for example, for the ragù. But in the end, however, we will get a dish that will give us great satisfaction.
So, here we are ready to prepare macaroni al grattè, as they say in Naples, or timbale of pasta au gratin: they are a sublime first course of the Neapolitan tradition, for a memorable autumn Sunday.
The characteristics of the preparation
The term “grattè” of this dish means “gratin”, ie gratin, due to the crunchiness that is obtained on the surface, after cooking. It is the main feature of this preparation. The reference of the name, therefore, is to that golden and tasty crust of the surface. It is obtained by the effect of bechamel, parmesan and breadcrumbs, when they come into contact with the high temperature of the oven.
Again, it differs from baked pasta precisely for this slightly more pronounced characteristic, and for the abundant presence of fatty elements. In this preparation we will use the béchamel, the fiordilatte and the butter. Finally, compared to baked pasta, this dish does not have tomato sauce.
Ingredients
Here, then, are the necessary ingredients:
a) 500 grams of short pasta, such as pennette or rigatoni; in Naples the broken ziti are used;
b) 700 g of ready-made bechamel;
c) 250 di fiordilatte;
d) 250 of cooked ham;
e) 150 grams of grated Parmesan cheese;
f) 70 grams of butter;
g) breadcrumbs, just enough;
h) nutmeg and salt, just enough.
Let’s prepare our macaroni grattè
Cook the pasta in a saucepan with plenty of boiling salted water, being careful to drain it a little before the cooking time, indicated on the package.
Separately, let the fiordilatte drain before cutting it into cubes, together with the cooked ham.
When it is ready, we drain the pasta and begin to season it with 50 g of butter at room temperature. Let it melt, while we keep the pasta, in the hot pot, but away from the flame.
Now add the bechamel, nutmeg, fiordilatte, cooked ham and grated Parmesan to the pasta. We mix everything well.
Let’s get ready to cook this timbale of pasta
Grease a pan and pour in the pasta, seasoned, before finishing, with a sprinkling of Parmesan and breadcrumbs.
At this point we bake at 180 °, for about thirty minutes, until the surface of the pasta has formed the characteristic gratin.
Nothing to complain, macaroni al grattè, as they say in Naples, or timbale of pasta au gratin are a sublime first course of the Neapolitan tradition, ready, at this point of preparation, to be enjoyed by the whole family.
Finally, always drawing from the Neapolitan culinary tradition, we present in thisother article the recipe for spaghetti alla puveriello.
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