Pasta 'ncasciata

Pasta 'ncasciata is a celebratory baked pasta dish that began in the Sicilian municipality of Messina and is now made in versions from every province of Sicily and Calabria. The ingredients change with the region and with the cook. A typical recipe uses two kinds of cheese, although a bechamel sauce can stand in for one of them. The Messina version is generally made with maccheroni, ragu, fried eggplant, caciocavallo, pecorino siciliano, white wine and basil, and often adds soppressata, meatballs, salami, boiled eggs, peas and breadcrumbs. Other provinces vary it with cauliflower, ricotta, peas or sausage. Traditionally it was baked in a dish set over hot coals and covered with more coals. Andrea Camilleri's Inspector Montalbano stories made the dish better known.