-
1
Preheat oven to 375F.
-
2
To prepare base: Cook vermicelli in boiling salted water until al dente.
-
3
Drain.
-
4
Add 1T olive oil and stir.
-
5
In a large bowl, combine eggs, nutmeg and parmesan.
-
6
Season with salt and pepper.
-
7
Add vermicelli and stir well to coat pasta evenly with egg mixture.
-
8
Grease 9 pie tins and press the pasta evenly over the bottom and up the sides (as though you would for a pie crust) far enough to form a shallow rim.
-
9
Cover the rim loosely with tin foil and bake for 10 minutes, or until pasta shell has set.
-
10
Leave the foil on for later baking.
-
11
To prepare the filling: Heat oil in a frying pan and gently saute garlic for 1 minute.
-
12
Drain tomatoes, reserving juice for later, and break tomatoes up with a spoon before adding to the pan.
-
13
Cook over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
-
14
Add salt and pepper to taste, 10 - 13 cups of reserved tomato juice and the orange rind.
-
15
Simmer until tomatoes are pulpy and thick, stirring occasionally.
-
16
The mixture should be quite thick, with no excess liquid.
-
17
Remove from heat and stir in mint (if using) and sugar, then let cool slightly.
-
18
Stir cheese into tomato mixture, then spoon into the pasta base.
-
19
Bake until set, about 30 minutes.
-
20
Cool slightly before serving.
