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1
Prepare the ragù napoletano the day before, or at least the morning of assembly. It must simmer for several hours until deeply reduced and on the drier side. A ragù that is too liquid will make the finished dish watery. The sauce is done when a spoon drawn across the surface leaves a clean furrow that closes slowly.
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2
Mix the minced meat with the egg, breadcrumbs, and a pinch of salt. Roll into walnut-sized balls. Shallow-fry in neutral oil over a medium-high flame, turning, until golden-brown on all sides. Lift onto paper and reserve. They are done when the exterior is firmly coloured and the ball holds its shape without flattening.
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3
Hard-boil the eggs for 10 minutes, cool under cold water, peel, and quarter lengthwise. Slice the fior di latte and lay it on a rack or clean cloth; it must drain for at least one hour. It is ready when no further liquid pools beneath the slices.
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4
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a full rolling boil. Cook the broken ziti or rigatoni for two to three minutes less than the packet's minimum time — the pasta must be significantly al dente, as it will continue cooking in the oven. It is done at this stage when it bends but resists cleanly at the core when bitten. Drain well.
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5
Dress the drained pasta immediately with a generous ladleful of ragù, turning it to coat every piece. This prevents sticking and begins the flavour marriage. The pasta should be coated but not swimming.
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6
Heat the oven to 175 °C. Spread a thin layer of ragù across the base of a deep baking dish. Add half the dressed pasta in an even layer. Distribute half the polpettine, half the quartered eggs, half the salame, half the drained mozzarella, and half the ricotta in dots across the surface. Spoon over ragù and scatter grated cheese. This is the step upon which the dish lives or dies: every component must be distributed throughout the layers — not reserved for the top — so that each portion yields the full architecture of the dish. A single layer dominated by one ingredient, or mozzarella that has not been properly drained, collapses the entire structure into a wet, undifferentiated mass.
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7
Add the remaining pasta in a second even layer. Repeat the distribution of polpettine, eggs, salame, and mozzarella. Finish the top with a generous covering of ragù, dots of ricotta, and a thorough blanketing of grated cheese. The top surface should be fully covered — no pasta visible through the sauce.
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8
Bake at 175 °C for 30 to 40 minutes. The dish is done when the top is set and coloured to a deep amber at the edges, the cheese has formed a coherent crust, and the sides of the dish show the ragù bubbling steadily. The kitchen will carry a roasted, meaty fragrance distinct from the earlier simmering smell.
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9
Remove from the oven and allow to rest on a surface, uncovered, for a minimum of 15 minutes before cutting. The layers are done resting when the sides of the dish no longer steam actively and the pasta holds its shape when a spatula is pressed gently against the edge. Patience at this stage is repaid with clean, defined portions rather than a collapsed mass.