‘Have the macaroni cooked in beef stock. Cooked and cooled, it is dressed with roast pig juices and roast capon breasts chopped, chopped prosciutto, pepper and grated cheese; and like that it is placed on the dish and covered with a sauce of yolks of eggs, Parmesan, butter and cream flavoured with cinnamon and, this sauce set in the oven, it is served.’ (Vicenzo Corrado)
Serves 6
100 g (3 1/2 oz) unsalted butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 rosemary sprig, about 7.5 cm (3 inches) long
450 g (1 lb) boneless pork loin
120 ml (4 fl oz) dry white wine
sea salt and pepper
250 g (9 oz) free-range or organic chicken breasts
150 g (5 oz) prosciutto, medium sliced
450 g (1 lb) large penne or macaroni
60 g (2 oz) freshly grated Parmesan
3 tbsp dried breadcrumbs
3 free-range egg yolks
300 ml (1/2 pint) single cream
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Choose a small heavy-based casserole into which the pork will just fit. Put in 30 g (1 oz) of the butter, the oil and the rosemary and turn the heat to medium high. As soon as the butter begins to colour, add the pork and brown well on all sides. This will take about 10 minutes.
Turn the heat up to high and pour over the wine. Reduce by half and then turn the heat down to low so that the liquid simmers gently. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover the pan with a sheet of greaseproof paper and put the lid on slightly askew. Cook for about 1 1/2 hours, turning the meat over every 30 minutes and adding a little water if the pork is cooking dry. When the meat is very tender remove from the pan and reserve for another meal.
Add a couple of tablespoons of warm water to the pan and bring to the boil, scraping the bottom of the pan with a metal spoon to free the cooking residue. Measure the liquid and if necessary add enough water to make up to 120 ml (4 fl oz).
Heat 30 g (1 oz) of the remaining butter in a non-stick frying pan. Add the chicken breasts and sauté very gently until done, about 15 minutes, turning the breasts over halfway through the cooking. Season with a little salt and pepper and add a couple of tablespoons of water if necessary. Transfer the chicken breast and their juices to a food processor together with the prosciutto, cut into pieces. Process until coarsely ground, not a smooth purée. If you do not have a food processor chop coarsely by hand. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and add the pork juices. Mix thoroughly.
Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F) mark 6.
Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water. Drain, turn immediately into the bowl with the meat mixture and add the remaining butter and half the Parmesan. Mix very thoroughly and then taste and adjust the seasoning.
Butter an oven dish and sprinkle all over with the dried breadcrumbs. Turn the dish upside-down and shake off the excess crumbs. Transfer the pasta into the dish and level it down gently.
In a bowl mix together the egg yolks, cream, remaining Parmesan, cinnamon, a little salt and a generous amount of pepper. Spoon this sauce over the pasta and place the dish in the oven. Bake for about 15 minutes until a golden crust forms on the top. Remove the dish from the oven and allow to stand out of the oven for 5 minutes before serving, to allow the flavours to combine.
preparation
The dish can be prepared without the topping up to 1 day in advance. Cover tightly and refrigerate only in hot weather. Spoon over the egg and cream mixture before baking and bake for 10 minutes longer to allow the cold pasta to heat through.