Pasta pie (pasticcio di pasta alla ferrarese)

This Ferrarese pasta pie delivers lasagne comfort in portable slice – molten cheese pull, crisp crust crunch. Ultimate Italian hug. Flaky golden pastry encases rigatoni swimming in creamy béchamel and rich meaty ragù. Tomato brightness cuts through sausage, beef, turkey layers while mushrooms add earthy depth.

By Gennaro Contaldo
From Saturday Kitchen Recipes

Pasta pie scores D. Pastry butter, béchamel, cheese push saturated fats; meat adds protein balance. Per serving: ~780 kcal, 42g fat, 65g carbs, 12g sugars, 5g fibre, 32g protein.

Equipment

• 24cm pie dish
• rolling pin
• frying pan
• saucepan

Method

Golden pastry (15 mins + chill – do first)

1. Grease pie dish. Generously grease your 24cm pie dish or cake tin with butter, then dust it all over with a little flour. Give it a good shake to remove any excess – this prevents sticking and gives your pasta pie that perfect release later.
2. Rub to breadcrumbs. In a large mixing bowl, tip in the ’00’ flour, pinch of sea salt, and those cold butter cubes cut into small pieces. Using just your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour using a light, lifting motion until the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs. Keep everything cool – warm hands melt butter and toughen pastry.
3. Bind with yolks. Now stir in the caster sugar and finely grated lemon zest – that citrus note brightens the sweet pastry beautifully. Gradually add the 3 lightly beaten egg yolks, mixing with a table knife or your hands. If the dough feels dry and won’t come together, add a tiny splash of ice-cold water, just a teaspoon at a time, until you get a smooth, non-sticky dough.
4. Roll base and lid. Gather the dough into a ball, then divide it into two uneven pieces – make one noticeably larger for the base, the smaller one for the lid. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the larger piece to about 3mm thick, large enough to line your pie dish with some overhang. Carefully lift it into the dish, pressing gently into the base and sides without stretching. Roll out the smaller piece to a 24cm circle, roughly the same thickness, and place it between two sheets of baking parchment to prevent sticking.
5. Chill pastry components. Pop both the lined pie dish and the pastry lid (still in parchment) into the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes. Chilling relaxes the gluten so your pastry holds shape and doesn’t shrink during baking – crucial for professional-looking pasta pie.

Meaty ragù (40 mins – flavour builds patiently)

6. Cook soffrito base. Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onion, celery, carrot, and bay leaves – this classic soffrito forms the flavour foundation. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften and release their sweetness without browning.
7. Brown all meats. Increase the heat slightly and crumble in the beef mince, turkey or chicken mince, and sausage meat from the skinned Italian pork sausages. Cook over medium-high heat for around 10 minutes, stirring and breaking up any lumps, until all the meat is nicely sealed and browned all over with no pink remaining. The sausages add that essential rich, savoury backbone.
8. Add mushrooms. Tip in the finely sliced chestnut mushrooms (or button mushrooms), season generously with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes. The mushrooms will release their juices quickly, adding deep umami to your ragù.
9. Deglaze with wine. Crank the heat to high, pour in the white wine, and let it bubble furiously for 1 minute – this evaporates the alcohol while concentrating the flavour into a glossy glaze that coats everything beautifully.
10. Simmer to thicken. Lower the heat right down, pop a lid on the pan, and let the ragù simmer gently for about 25 minutes. Stir occasionally – you want the meat tender, the sauce thickened and richly flavoured. Remove from the heat and set aside while you make the béchamel.

Creamy béchamel (10 mins – whisk constantly)

11. Make smooth roux. In a small non-stick saucepan, melt the 25g butter over medium heat. As soon as it foams, take the pan off the heat and whisk in the 25g ’00’ flour vigorously to form a smooth paste (roux) with no lumps – this takes about 30 seconds of fast whisking.
12. Gradual milk addition. Add a splash of the whole milk first and whisk until completely smooth. Return the pan to medium heat and gradually pour in the remaining milk, whisking all the time as it comes to a simmer and thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. This takes 3-4 minutes – don’t rush or you’ll get lumps.
13. Season and cheese. Remove from the heat immediately. Season with sea salt, plenty of black pepper, and a good grating of nutmeg. Stir through the grated Parmesan until it melts into the sauce, creating that silky, cheesy emulsion. Taste and adjust seasoning – set aside to cool slightly.

Pasta & assemble (1 hour bake – oven does magic)

14. Preheat and boil. Preheat your oven to 170C/150C Fan/Gas 3. Bring a large saucepan of well-salted water to a rolling boil – it should taste like the sea for properly seasoned pasta.
15. Parboil pasta. Cook your 300g dried tortiglioni, rigatoni, or broken ziti for exactly HALF the time stated on the packet – we’re parboiling for al dente texture that finishes perfectly in the oven. Drain well in a colander, reserving a mug of pasta water in case you need to loosen the filling later.
16. Combine all fillings. In a large bowl, stir the cooked ragù into the béchamel sauce until well combined. Add the hot par-boiled pasta and mix thoroughly – every piece should be glossy-coated. Taste and season if needed. Take your chilled pastry base from the fridge and spoon the pasta mixture into it evenly, right up to the brim.
17. Seal pastry lid. Remove the pastry lid from its parchment and lay it carefully over the filling. Press the edges together firmly with your fingers to seal, then crimp decoratively around the rim using a fork or by pinching with thumb and forefinger. Use any pastry trimmings to cut out leaves or shapes to decorate the top if you like.
18. Egg wash and bake. Beat the small egg yolk with a splash of milk for egg wash, then brush generously all over the pastry lid for that beautiful golden shine. Make a few small steam holes in the centre with a sharp knife. Bake for 50-55 minutes until the pastry is deep golden, crisp, and fragrant. Let it rest 5 minutes before carefully turning out or slicing – serve hot with lemon-dressed mixed leaf salad.

Suggested Wine Pairing

Pasta pie pasticcio loves medium reds matching meaty ragù, creamy béchamel. Sangiovese shines with Ferrarese pastry pie; under £12.50 Tesco/Sainsbury’s/Asda. Keywords: pasta pie wine pairing, pasticcio ferrarese wine, meaty pasta bake wine.

• Valpolicella Ripasso (£12.00, Tesco) – cherry herbs cut béchamel richness in pasta pie perfectly.
• Chianti Classico (£11.50, Sainsbury’s) – bright acidity refreshes sausage mushroom layers.
• Primitivo Puglia (£10.25, Asda) – plum spice hugs ragù tomato depth.

What can you serve with this

1. Mixed leaf salad – lemon oil dressing cuts pastry richness perfectly.
2. Roasted artichokes – meaty chew alongside creamy pasta pie filling.
3. Grilled radicchio – bitter balance for sweet sausage béchamel.
4. Extra Parmesan – grate tableside over hot pasta pie slices.

FAQs for Pasta Pie Pasticcio

• No ’00’ flour? Strong bread flour works; keeps pasta pie pastry tender-crisp.
• Vegetarian version? Lentils, mushrooms double duty replace meat in ragù.
• Pastry shrinking? Chill longer, roll between paper – relaxes gluten.
• Pasta overcooked? Always half-time boil only; finishes gently in oven.
• Gluten-free? GF flour blend pastry, corn pasta shapes fine.
• Make ahead? Assemble, bake from fridge – add 10 mins time.
• Freeze slices? Yes baked, 2 months. Reheat oven 180C.
• Red wine instead? Chianti perfect; white overpowers ragù complexity.