nellini are a Sicilian pasta specialty, shaped like rings (or anelli in Italian), which is used mostly in baked dishes.
Pasta, served with deliciously refined sauces and specialty vegetables, has always been the king of the Sicilian table. Rarely if ever is a meal consumed on this island without a first course of pasta. Spaghetti, macaroni, ditalini, or more often anellini (anelli siciliani) are served either cooked in water or baked in the oven.
Dry pasta has a very long history in Sicily: it is generally believed that the first dry pasta production took place in Palermo in 1150. Sicilian pasta comes in various types, each of which is the result of centuries of experimentation to produce the perfect shape for use with specific sauces, cheeses, vegetables and fishes.
Anelletti siciliani is a prime example. It is used in the preparation of timbales, flans and "pasta con il forno" - an oven baked specialty of Palermo, which combines the most typical ingredients of Southern Italian cuisine: fresh tomato sauce, basil, slices of mozzarella, and sliced eggplant fried in olive oil.
Ditalini is also a specialty of Sicily. Smooth and tube-shaped, it is usually served is fresh ricotta, sometimes mixed with a fresh tomato sauce.
