Here is the home of the REAL Spaghetti-O's, Palermo,
Sicily.  An island basking in the arid sun of the Mediterranean, part of Italy, yet more a part of a more exotic background. 
Normans, Africans, Moors, Spanish, French, Greeks, Phoenicians all left their footprints on this volcanic piece of the
Earth.  The food is just as varied.  My own parental grandparents were both born in the city of Sciacca, in the Province of
Agrigento on the southwestern side of the island.  Citrusy ices, gelati, ricotta stuffed pastries, including the world famous
cannoli (yes, it is my favorite dessert, sweet, you name it), spiedini, fish of all kinds, shellfish, eggplant, rabbit, chicken,
zucca (squash), lemons, limes, oranges, prickly pears, pomegranites, granita', raisin, pignoli, breadcrumbs, caciocavallo,
primosale, pecorino, provolone...and olives...oregano, mint...and much much more.  The pastry world reached culinary
heights here.  Sesame seeds dot breads and rolls.  Tomatoes flourish.  Are you hungry for more of Sicily yet?  The above
picture was taken as I was entering Palermo (the capital) harbor a few summers ago. 
     So, imagine a cannoli freak like myself finally having my first REAL Sicilian cannoli.  To the chagrin of many foodies
out there, America's Italian Pastry shops, the really good ones, like Mike's or Modern Pastry Shop in Boston, Termini
Bros. in Philadelphia, Vaccaro's in Baltimore, Alfonso's, Royal Crown, Renato's in StatenIsland, NY,  Fortunatos,
Villabate, Rispoli, and Circo's (http://www.circospastryshop.com/index2.html  ) in Brooklyn, Ariola's on Long Island...
don't get upset here if I don't mention your favorite here, there are so many, create a cannoli that stands up to the
originals in Sicily.  But, on that hot day in June, I had the "real thing" .  I was so excited I didn't even write down the
name of the pastry shop.  Just check out my face, I'm saying...."Finalmente....Sono Arrivato", Finally I have arrived.





  So what does any of this have to do with Spaghetti-O's, that can of Franco-
American pasta known all over the United States?  Everything. Sicily has a predilection of everything sweet, a hold-over
from the days when the Arabs ruled the Island.  Spain and France, along with ingredients they brought over from the
New World intermingled to create the cuisine Sicily enjoys today.  The tomatoes from the New World needed to stretch
for as long a time as possible.  The estratto, or tomato concentrate, a thick, sweet paste of tomatoes dried in the sun
made their sauces sweeter tasting than in the mainland provinces.  Peas, also a sweetner, were added to many of
the pasta dishes.  My own grandmother, Giuseppina Lucia Vizzi Battaglia, made a very sweet and thick sauce, adding
potatoes to pull out the acid from the tomatoes, and peas for their sugary notes.  Anelletti, or ring pasta is a favored
shape, especially in the Palermo province.  The American Spaghetti-O is a processed version of this pasta dish.
Aside from the shape, that is where the comparison ends.    Let's make a pan of Anelletti al Forno, or Baked Sicilian
Pasta Rings.
 For this dish, used 1 lb. of Anelletti Pasta, found in most Italian groceries, make sure they are imported from Italy.
1 can of San Marzanos, crushed with your hand.
3/4 lb. ground veal  1/4 ground beef or pork
1 large onion, diced  fresh basil, olive oil, 1/2 glass good Italian red wine
salt, pepper
1 can peas, or 1 cup fresh cooked or frozen peas
1/2 lb. crumbled primosale cheese (or ricotta salata)
1 cup grated caciocavallo or pecorino romano
3 tbs. imported Tomato Paste

  This is the most important step in this dish.  Don't rush this or the flavor
profile will just be that of a meat sauce.  In a large saucepan or dutch oven, coat the bottom with olive oil and add the
onion.  Let this cook for about 7-8 minutes, then add the meat breaking it up with a large spoon.  Season with salt and
pepper.  Let this cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.  While this is cooking, in lots of abundant
salted water, cook the Anelletti according to the package for al dente.  Drain and place in a bowl.  Add the red wine, and
continue cooking for 15 minutes more on low.  Stir.  Sprinkle 2 tbs. of the caciocavallo over the meat and mix. Add the
tomato then the tomato paste. Blend well. 
Add a few basil leaves.and the peas.
  Cook on low for about 25
minutes.   In a large bowl, add some of the sauce 1/2 of each of the cheeses, the pasta, and blend well.  Keep adding
sauce and the remaining cheeses until all the ingredients are well blended.
  Now top with the rest of the grated cheese and bake in
a warm oven, around 350 degrees for 20 minutes covered, then 5 minutes uncovered.  Serve.  This will feed me, or
6-8 people.
 Look how the sauce is a little darker...btw, the slow cooking
down, and the extra paste in the sauce brings out the sweetness which is a hallmark of sicilian tomato sauce..NOT 12 LBS
OF SUGAR!!!.
   I can remember buying a plate of this at the
Santa Rosalia Feast on 18th Ave. in Brooklyn many years ago and saying, I've got to learn how to make this just
this way.  The men and woman at the stand, natives of Palermo, gave me this recipe in a sketchy broken english
dialect, but I remembered it and continue to make it.  So, next time you hear that song in your head, "A neat
round spaghetti that will stay on your spoon..A-OH SPAGHETTI-OS", jump to this blogpost and make your own.