Pasticcio

(Serves 6-8)

Ingredients

Pastry:
400 g plain flour
200 g butter, chilled and diced
Pinch of Gozo sea salt
Iced water

Tomato sauce:
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 celery stalk, trimmed and sliced
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 x 400 g cans chopped tomato
4 or 5 pieces sun-dried tomato
1 bay leaf
1 sprig each thyme and marjoram
Seasoning

Pastry
Rub the flour and butter together to a crumb-like consistency, and stir in the salt and enough water to bind the pastry. Cover with cling-film, and refrigerate until required. Roll out two-thirds of the pastry, and line a spring-form cake tin, about 7.5 cm deep and 22 to 25 cm in diameter. Roll out the rest to make a lid for the pie.

Tomato sauce
To make the sauce, fry the chopped vegetables in the olive oil until the onions are translucent. Add the tomatoes and herbs, and cook uncovered until the vegetables are soft. Sieve and season to taste. Put aside until required.

Custard
4 egg yolks
2 tablespoons sugar
300 ml milk
Whole nutmeg

Make a pouring custard with the eggs, sugar, and milk, beating the eggs and sugar in a bowl, pouring on scalding milk, straining back into a saucepan, and cooking gently until it just coats the back of a spoon. Stir in plenty of freshly grated nutmeg. Once cool, refrigerate until required.

Remaining ingredients
500 g button mushrooms
600 g penne, ziti, maccheroni, or other tubular pasta
2 mozzarella cheeses, drained & diced
200 g can petit pois, drained
75 g Parmesan, grated

Cook the pasta until al dente. Drain well and oil lightly to prevent sticking. Heat a frying pan and fry the mushrooms until golden brown.

Mix the pasta with about 300 ml tomato sauce, and stir in the peas, mozzarella and mushrooms. Spoon the pasta into the pastry case, sprinkling with Parmesan.

The pasta should be well moistened, as it will absorb more liquid as it cooks. Spoon on the custard, sprinkle on more Parmesan, and top with a lid rolled from the remaining pastry. Brush with egg and milk, or saffron-infused water.

Cut out pastry decorations for the top. Make a small slit in the pie crust to allow steam to escape. Bake in a preheated oven at 200˚C, gas mark 6 for 10 minutes, then turn down to 180˚C, gas mark 4 for 30 to 40 minutes.

Remove from the oven, and transfer carefully to a large serving platter.

Add bunches of herbs, rocket and wedges of lemon and orange for a festive appearance.