Ricette di Sicilia
Cibo, cultura e tradizioni siciliane
Catanese Five-Hole Pasta: a Sumptuous Sicilian Carnival Classic
Discover the irresistible charm of Catania’s ‘pasta cinque buchi’, a rare and theatrical pasta shape that captures a rich, velvety meat ragù brimming with Sicilian flavour.
🛒 Ingredients
▸ For the ragù
- ✓ 500 g mixed minced meat (beef and pork)
- ✓ 150 g crumbled sausage
- ✓ 100 g fresh peas
- ✓ 1 Giarratana onion
- ✓ 2 garlic cloves
- ✓ 700 ml tomato sauce
- ✓ 100 ml Etna red wine
- ✓ 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ✓ Extra-virgin olive oil
- ✓ Salt and black pepper, to taste
- ✓ Fresh basil
▸ For the pasta
- ✓ 500 g five-hole pasta (pasta cinque buchi)
- ✓ 150 g grated tuma cheese
- ✓ Coarse salt for cooking
📊 Nutritional Information
If you’ve ever wandered through Catania during Carnival, you’ll know that the celebrations aren’t only about colourful masks and joyful noise — they’re also about the comforting, generous dishes that bring everyone to the table. Among them sits a true local gem: pasta cinque buchi, a wonderfully theatrical five-hole pasta created to cradle a slow-simmered ragù like nothing else.
This hearty, velvety sauce — rich with minced beef and pork, sweet Sicilian onions, fragrant basil and a splash of Etna red wine — is the sort of cooking that fills the house with warmth long before it reaches the plate. The pasta shape itself is rare even in Sicily, making it a delightful discovery if you love feeling transported by tradition.
With just a handful of honest ingredients and a little patience, you can bring a taste of Catanese Carnival into your own kitchen — no confetti required.
👨🍳 Preparation
- 1
Finely chop the Giarratana onion and gently soften it in a terracotta casserole with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and the crushed garlic.
- 2
Add the minced meat and crumbled sausage, browning everything well until the meat loses its raw colour.
- 3
Pour in the red wine and let the alcohol evaporate.
- 4
Stir through the tomato paste, peas and tomato sauce. Season with salt and pepper, add the basil, and let the ragù gently bubble away for about 1 hour and 30 minutes over a low heat.
- 5
Meanwhile, cook the five-hole pasta in plenty of salted boiling water.
- 6
Drain the pasta while still very al dente and transfer it to the casserole.
- 7
Add the grated tuma and stir until the sauce becomes creamy and gloriously stringy.
- 8
Serve piping hot on ceramic plates, with a dusting of black pepper and a few fresh basil leaves.
💡 Tips and Variations
For an even more Sicilian flourish, stir in a handful of fried aubergine cubes before serving. If you struggle to find tuma, a good aged Ragusano cheese delivers a deeper, more robust flavour that works beautifully with the ragù.
📦 Storage
- • Keep refrigerated for up to 2 days in an airtight container.
- • Reheat gently in a pan with a drizzle of olive oil or warm in the oven covered with foil.
- • Suitable for freezing for up to 1 month; for best results, freeze without the cheese.
🍷 Pairing
Enjoy with a glass of young Nero d’Avola or Etna Rosso — both lively enough to match the richness of the ragù without overwhelming its delicate sweetness.
Now that you’ve brought this festive Catanese classic to life, serve it generously and share it with the people you love. Its aroma, its comforting richness and its unmistakably Sicilian character are exactly why it remains a cherished Carnival favourite.
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