Ricette di Sicilia
Cibo, cultura e tradizioni siciliane
Sicilian ‘Pasta Aggrassata’: A Hug from Palermo in a Bowl
A rustic, comforting Sicilian pasta dish where onions, potatoes and peas gently melt into a silky sauce – a true taste of Palermo’s home cooking.
🛒 Ingredients
- ✓ 320 g short pasta of your choice
- ✓ 3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
- ✓ 3 large onions, finely sliced
- ✓ 200 g fresh or frozen peas
- ✓ 300 g beef, cut into small pieces
- ✓ 4 bay leaves
- ✓ Extra-virgin olive oil
- ✓ 2 tablespoons tomato purée (optional)
- ✓ Freshly ground black pepper
- ✓ Sea salt
- ✓ Grated Sicilian pecorino
📊 Nutritional Information
If you’ve ever wandered through Palermo’s backstreets in the late afternoon, you’ll know that the city has a talent for wrapping you in its aromas long before supper is served. This pasta aggrassata — a traditional dish whose name loosely echoes “glazed” or “enrobed” — is one of those recipes that feels like a warm embrace from a Sicilian kitchen.
Here, humble ingredients do all the heavy lifting. Onions slowly collapse into sweetness, potatoes soften until velvety, and peas bring their gentle burst of freshness. Everything simmers together with tender beef until it becomes a rustic sauce that is less about gloss and more about generosity.
It’s the kind of dish you make when you want comfort without fuss, something hearty enough for autumn evenings yet bright with Mediterranean spirit. A proper bowlful of Palermo’s soul.
👨🍳 Preparation
- 1
Gently soften the onions in a wide pan with a generous drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, the bay leaves, a pinch of salt, and black pepper.
- 2
Add the potatoes, peas and beef, mixing well. If you like, stir in the tomato purée.
- 3
Pour in around 1 litre of water, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and cook with the lid on for about 30 minutes, until the onions and potatoes have almost melted into a creamy consistency and the beef is tender enough to fall apart.
- 4
Meanwhile, bring a pan of salted water to the boil, cook the pasta and drain it a couple of minutes before it reaches al dente.
- 5
Transfer the pasta to the pan of creamy vegetables, adding a splash of pasta water if needed, and finish cooking while stirring until everything is well bound together.
- 6
Remove from the heat and serve immediately with a drizzle of raw olive oil and plenty of grated Sicilian pecorino.
💡 Tips and Variations
For a heartier version, stir in leftover stewed beef — traditionally, this dish was a clever way to use up the remains of a Sunday braise. If you enjoy pasta with more bite, try mixing short broken shapes such as mezze maniche with pasta mista to catch the silky onion-and-potato sauce.
📦 Storage
- • Keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 1 day.
- • Reheat gently in a pan with a splash of water to restore its creaminess.
- • Avoid freezing, as potatoes and onions can change texture.
🍷 Pairing
This dish is wonderful with a young Nero d’Avola or, if you prefer a white, a fresh, mineral Grillo.
You’ve just created a dish that’s as rustic and heartfelt as Sicilian cooking gets. Settle in, enjoy every spoonful, and keep this Palermo classic close for when you next need a bowl of pure comfort.
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