Hirtenmaccheroni
Hirtenmaccheroni, known as maccheroni alla pastora in Italian, is a baked pasta dish tossed with Speck, minced beef, peas, cream, tomato and mountain cheese.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 680 kcal
Equipment
- •Large pasta pot
- •Deep frying pan or sauté pan
- •Baking dish
- •Colander
- •Cheese grater
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 680 kcal
- fat
- 31 g
- carbs
- 68 g
- fibre
- 5 g
- protein
- 32 g
- calories
- 680 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Preheat your oven to 200 degrees C.
- 2
Melt the butter in a deep sauté pan over medium heat.
- 3
Add the onion and Speck and fry until the onion softens.
- 4
Add the minced beef and cook until no pink colour remains.
- 5
Tir in the sliced mushrooms and cook for three minutes.
- 6
Pour in the tomato passata and cream, then bring to a gentle simmer.
- 7
Add the peas, season with a little salt and pepper, and simmer for five minutes.
- 8
Meanwhile, boil the pasta in salted water until very al dente, about three minutes under package directions.
- 9
Drain the pasta and toss it directly into the sauce until thoroughly coated.
- 10
Transfer the mixture to a baking dish and scatter the grated mountain cheese across the top.
- 11
Bake for twelve minutes until the cheese is melted, bubbling and lightly golden at the edges.
- 12
Rest for two minutes before spooning into warm shallow bowls.
Chef's tips
Cook the pasta quite firm as it will soften further in the oven sauce. Be light on added salt because the Speck brings natural salinity.
Ingredient substitutions
- Bergkäse → Gruyère or mature Gouda for a similar melting profile and savoury depth
- Speck Alto Adige PGI → smoked pancetta, though you will miss the distinct juniper smoke profile of Speck
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days.
Reheating
Reheat covered in a medium oven at 180 degrees C with a splash of milk or water to prevent drying out.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Overcooking the pasta in the boiling water, which leads to mushy baked pasta.
- •Over-salting the sauce before tasting, forgetting the cured saltiness of the Speck.
Serving suggestions
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