Macaroni Timbale Recipes

MACARONI TIMBALE

Steps:

• Heat oil in large skillet on medium heat. Add mushrooms; cook 8 min., stirring frequently. Add garlic; cook 1 min. Add tomatoes, soy sauce and turkey; mix well. Cook 10 min., stirring frequently. Cover to keep warm.
• Prepare Dinners in large saucepan as directed on package.
• Add parsley to tomato mixture; mix well. Add 1 cup to prepared Dinner; spoon onto platter. Top with remaining tomato mixture and Parmesan.

EGGPLANT TIMBALE

Steps:

• Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or pre-heat a gas or charcoal grill. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the eggplant slices with 1/3 cup olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill the eggplant until tender and colored with grill marks, about 4 minutes per side. Set aside.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta.
• Meanwhile, warm the 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the beef and pork, and brown the meat, breaking it into bite-sized pieces with a wooden spoon, about 5 minutes. Add the Marsala and cook until the liquid has evaporated, about 3 minutes. Turn off the heat. Add the peas and marinara sauce and stir to combine. Add the cheeses, basil, and cooked pasta. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the springform pan with the grilled eggplant. Be sure that the slices overlap and hang over the edge of the pan. Fill the pan with the pasta mixture, pressing down to make sure the pan is filling up evenly. Fold the eggplant slices up over the top of the pasta and add a few more slices on top to completely enclose the timbale. Bake the timbale until warmed through and the cheese has melted, about 30 minutes. Let rest on the counter for 10 minutes to set. To serve, invert the timbale onto a serving plate and remove the springform pan. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese over the top. Slice and serve.

TIMPANO DI MACCHERONI (THE MYTHIC PASTA DOME)

Steps:

• To make the dough: Place the flour on a wooden work surface, make a well in the top.
• Cut the lard or other fat into ¼-inch pieces and place in the center of the well with the yolks, ½ teaspoon salt, and a teaspoon of ice water.
• Mix well with the tips of your fingers to form a lumpy mass.
• Bring together as a dough and knead for 4-5 minutes.
• Wrap in plastic and set aside.
• Preheat oven to 375-degrees.
• Roll out pasta to a large circle ¼-inch thick.
• Butter the metal bowl and dust thickly with the toasted bread crumbs.
• Line the buttered dish completely with the sheet of pasta, with a 1 ½-inch edge overhang.
• Boil 6 quarts of water in a large pasta pot, then add 2 Tablespoons of salt.
• Cook the rigatoni/ziti in the boiling water, 3 minutes less than the package instructions state.
• Drain and refresh under cold running water, or an ice bath, until cold, 2-3 minutes.
• Toss with olive oil, and set aside.
• Mix half of the cooked rigatoni/ziti with 2 ½ cups meat sauce and ½ cup of Parmiagiano, and set aside.
• Mix the remaining cooked rigatoni with half of the Besciamella, ¼ cup of Parmigiano, the prosciutto, and nutmeg.
• (Cook's Note: I probably didn't add quite as much sauce as the recipe suggests, just added enough until it looked right.) Place this besciamella-sauced rigatoni/ziti into the bowl, and press lightly.
• Sprinkle with some of the grated Parmigiano, I added a good layer.
• Arrange the meatballs on top in an even layer, and press down again.
• Sprinkle with more Parmigiano.
• Spread the meat-sauced pasta over the meatballs and press down gently.
• Fold the extra pasta over the whole thing, and press gently to seal.
• Cover the open top with foil and bake for 1 hour 20 minutes.
• Remove from the oven, remove the foil, and invert onto a large serving platter, without removing the bowl.
• Allow to rest 10 minutes, then carefully loosen the pasta around the sides with a knife and knock with your knuckles to release the bowl.
• (Mine slid right out without a problem.) Serve immediately with the remaining shredded Parmigiano on the side, cutting the timpano into wedges to serve.