'Big Night' Timpano
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour ⓘ
- 1/4 teaspoon salt ⓘ
- 3 large eggs, lightly beaten ⓘ
- 1 tablespoon olive oil ⓘ
- 1 pound ground pork ⓘ
- 1 pound ground beef ⓘ
- 1 teaspoon fennel seed
- 1 egg, lightly beaten ⓘ
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley ⓘ
- 1 cup fine bread crumbs ⓘ
- 1 medium onion, diced ⓘ
- 1 medium carrot, minced ⓘ
- 1 medium rib celery, minced ⓘ
- 4 cloves garlic, minced ⓘ
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste ⓘ
- 4 tablespoons chicken broth or white wine ⓘ
- 2 28-ounce cans Italian plum tomatoes, passed through the medium disk of a food mill to remove seeds ⓘ
- 1/2 cup shredded fresh basil ⓘ
- 2 teaspoons salt ⓘ
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste ⓘ
- 1/2 pound penne or other short-shaped pasta, cooked al dente, drained and reserved ⓘ
- 3 tablespoons olive oil ⓘ
Instructions
- To make the pasta, mix the flour and the salt together, then stir the salted flour with the eggs and the oil.
- Continue to stir until the dough comes together in a ball.
- On a floured work surface, knead the dough for 10 minutes, or until silky smooth.
- Wrap with plastic and set aside at room temperature for at least 1 hour.
- Combine all the meatball ingredients.
- Roll into about 65 balls, using 1 tablespoon of meat for each.
- In a large nonstick frying pan, cook as many meatballs as will fit in 1 layer over medium heat, turning occasionally, for 20 minutes.
- Repeat if necessary.
- Set aside in a bowl at room temperature.
- In the same pan used to make the meatballs and utilizing the fat left in the pan, cook the onion, carrot, celery and garlic over medium heat for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Dissolve the tomato paste in the stock or wine and stir into the vegetables.
- Cook the mixture for 1 minute.
- Stir in the tomatoes and basil.
- Simmer for 30 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
- To make the timpano, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Toss the penne with 2 cups of the sauce.
- Roll out the pasta on a lightly floured surface to make a 26-inch round.
- Grease a 3-quart stainless- steel bowl with 2 tablespoons of oil and gently mold the pasta sheet to the contours of the bowl; there should be enough hanging over the edge to fold over and cover the filling.
- Spoon 1 cup of penne into the bowl.
- Top with 1/2 cup of the sauce, 12 pieces of egg, half of the meatballs and 1/3 of the mozzarella.
- Repeat the process, this time using 3 cups of penne, 1 1/2 cups of sauce, the remaining eggs, meatballs and cheese.
- Top with the remaining penne and sauce.
- Create a final layer with the salami.
- Fold the pasta over the filling and brush with 1 tablespoon of oil.
- Cover tightly with aluminum foil.
- Bake the timpano for 45 minutes.
- Remove the foil and bake for 45 more minutes.
- To check if it's done make a small hole at the top using a knife blade.
- If steam comes out and the cheese is melted, it's done.
- Otherwise, bake for 10 to 15 more minutes.
- To serve, remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes.
- Carefully turn upside down onto a large platter.
Nutrition & Diet Analysis (per serving)
1504
kcal
75% DV
Protein
Fat
Carbs
* % Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet (FDA 2020).