For Pasta Pecorara Abruzzese, cut all the vegetables into fairly small pieces of equal size. Sauté these in a pan with olive oil and add the basil. Season with salt.
In a separate pan, sauté the finely chopped onion in oil and add the sliced guanciale. Once they are golden brown, add the passata and cook for 20 minutes. Then, add the vegetables and adjust the seasoning with salt if necessary.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in boiling water and, after draining, mix it with the sauce, adding the ricotta at the same time. Fresh, homemade anellini will be ready in a few minutes, while store-bought pasta will take longer to cook, usually 10 minutes. In any case, they should remain al dente.
Save some of the cooking water to mix with the pasta if needed to achieve a smooth consistency.
Serve with grated, preferably aged Pecorino cheese, possibly from Abruzzo.
Possible Variations:
Olives, yes or no? Many recipes use them, black and pitted. However, they change the character of the dish.
As for the guanciale, you can use pancetta instead. However, purists of regional Italian cuisine would object to this substitution.
Vegetarian Variant: You can turn this recipe into a vegetarian dish by omitting the guanciale.
