Best 4 Timballo Genovese Recipes

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Prepare to tantalize your taste buds with the exquisite Timballo Genovese, a magnificent culinary creation that embodies the rich culinary heritage of Genoa, Italy. This delectable dish, also known as "Timballo alla Genovese," is a savory symphony of flavors and textures, showcasing the perfect harmony between pasta, meat, vegetables, and cheese.

The Timballo Genovese is a labor of love, a true testament to the patience and skill of Italian cuisine. It features a towering cylinder of pasta sheets, meticulously layered with succulent fillings of ground meat, aromatic vegetables, and a creamy béchamel sauce. The dish is then enveloped in a blanket of flavorful pesto sauce, adding a vibrant green hue and a burst of herbaceousness to each bite.

This article presents a comprehensive guide to crafting the perfect Timballo Genovese, providing step-by-step instructions and essential tips to ensure success. It includes traditional and modern variations of the recipe, catering to diverse preferences and dietary requirements. Discover the secrets behind the classic meat-based Timballo Genovese, along with enticing vegetarian and seafood adaptations.

Embark on a culinary journey through the heart of Genoa as we explore the intricacies of this iconic dish. Learn how to select the finest ingredients, master the art of pasta making, and assemble the Timballo Genovese with precision. Indulge in the delightful flavors of this culinary masterpiece, a true celebration of Italian culinary traditions.

Here are our top 4 tried and tested recipes!

TIMBALLO



Timballo image

Inspired by Mr. Stanley Tucci's movie the Big Night, this is a dish fit for royalty and normal folks. It's a tour de force of fregola, pesto, peas, asparagus, penne with tomato sauce and lasagne noodles with roasted red bell peppers and spinach.

Provided by Food Network

Categories     main-dish

Time 2h15m

Yield 4 to 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 26

Kosher salt
1 pound organic penne pasta
Sauce:
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, peeled and minced
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 teaspoon baharat
1/2 teaspoon crushed red chile flakes
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
28 ounces crushed canned tomatoes, such as Bianco Dinapoli
1/2 cup grated Pecorino-Romano
Kosher salt
8 ounces fregola pasta
1 pound asparagus, trimmed
1 cup shucked fresh peas
1/2 cup store-bought or homemade pesto
1/2 cup grated Pecorino-Romano
Kosher salt
4 dried pasta sheets, broken in half
3 red bell peppers
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 cups baby spinach
2 ounces extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces mozzarella, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick slices
3 ounces grated Parmesan

Steps:

  • For the base pasta layer: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the penne for 10 minutes. Then chill in an ice bath after cooking until cool to the touch. Drain and set aside in a large bowl.
  • For the sauce: Heat a 12-inch cast-iron pan over medium-high heat and add the oil. Once, heated, add the onions, garlic, baharat, red chile flakes, fennel seeds and turmeric and cook for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook for another 15 minutes. Puree with an immersion blender if the tomato pieces are large. Season with salt. Add the sauce to the cooked penne pasta along with the Pecorino-Romano. Stir to combine and keep at room temperature.
  • For the fregola layer: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the fregola pasta for 12 minutes scoop out to drain. Set aside in a large bowl. Add the asparagus to the boiling water and let cook until brightened in color, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove to a large plate and let sit until just cool to the touch. Add the peas to the boiling water and let cook until brightened in color, about 2 minutes. Drain and set aside in a large bowl.
  • Cut the asparagus into 1-inch pieces and add to the bowl with the peas. Add the pesto and stir to combine. Add the fregola and stir to combine. Set aside.
  • For the lasagna layer: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Preheat a pizza oven or oven to broil.
  • Boil the pasta sheets for 3 minutes and chill in ice water. Set aside.
  • Put the peppers onto a sheet tray and put in the oven to char on all sides, about 10 minutes total, rotating as needed. Remove from the oven and put into a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to steam for 10 minutes. Once cool enough to handle, remove from the bowl and carefully remove most of the charred skin. Stem, seed and slice the red peppers into thick slices and set aside.
  • Put a 12-inch cast-iron pan over medium-high heat and add the oil. Once heated, add the spinach, season with salt and toss to combine, allowing the spinach to wilt, about 3 minutes. Set aside.
  • For the timballo assembly: Oil a 14-inch cast-iron pan. Add a 1-inch layer of base penne mixture (about 1/3 of the mixture) and flatten. Add half of the fregola/pea mixture and flatten again. Add a layer of the cooked and cooled lasagna sheets to cover. Cover with half of the wilted spinach, half of the roasted red pepper slices and half of the fresh mozzarella slices. Repeat all the layers, finishing with the base penne mixture and garnish with the Parmesan.
  • Bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 20 minutes.

EGGPLANT TIMBALLO WITH CAVATELLI



Eggplant Timballo with Cavatelli image

Provided by Food Network

Categories     main-dish

Time 1h30m

Yield 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 18

3 large eggplants, cut into 1/4-inch slices lengthwise
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 cups tomato sauce, recipe follows
1 pound fresh cavatelli pasta
1 (1 pound) ball fresh mozzarella, chopped
1 cup grated pecorino, plus extra, for sprinkling on top
1/4 cup basil chiffonade, plus basil leaves, for garnish
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
1/3 cup finely chopped carrot
1/3 cup finely chopped celery
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon dried basil, crumbled
1 bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 (28 to 32-ounce) cans whole Italian tomatoes, drained, reserving juice, and chopped into 1/4 to 1/2-inch pieces

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Place the eggplant slices on top of a sheet tray lined with parchment or waxed paper. Drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake in oven until it turns golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let it cool.
  • Oil the bottoms and sides of 6 souffle dishes and layer 4 to 5 pieces of eggplant in a circular pattern into each souffle dish, letting excess drape out over the edge.
  • Heat up the tomato sauce in a large saucepan. Then turn off flame. Reserve some tomato sauce for plating in a smaller pot.
  • In a large pot with boiling salted water, cook the cavatelli pasta for 3 to 4 minutes, and drain.
  • In the pot with the sauce, add the partially cooked cavatelli, mozzarella, and pecorino to the tomato sauce and cook over medium heat just to blend well. When hot, stir in the basil chiffonade. Spoon the pasta-sauce mixture into the souffle dishes and fold over the top with excess eggplant. Bake in oven for 4 to 5 minutes.
  • To serve, spoon the remaining tomato sauce onto individual plates. Turn a finished timballo upside down onto a large spatula to remove it from the souffle dish, then carefully slide it onto the plates. Sprinkle with pecorino and garnish with a basil leaf.
  • In a heavy 5-quart saucepan cook onion, carrot, celery, garlic, basil, bay leaf, and salt and pepper, to taste, in oil over moderate heat, stirring, until vegetables are softened. Stir in tomato paste and tomatoes with reserved juice.
  • Simmer sauce, covered, over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, 35 minutes and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 15 to 20 minutes, or until thickened. Discard bay leaf. Sauce may be made 2 days in advance and kept covered and chilled.

TIMBALLO



Timballo image

Provided by Food Network

Categories     main-dish

Time 2h

Yield 12 servings

Number Of Ingredients 21

1 pound fresh pasta sheets
1/4 cup butter, melted, plus 1/4 cup
Basic tomato sauce, recipe follows
2 cups 1/4-inch diced mozzarella
Bechamel sauce, recipe follows
Ground veal, recipe follows
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/4 cup onion, diced fine
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 (14-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 to 8 leaves fresh basil
6 cups milk
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 pounds ground veal
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  • Cook the pasta sheets in boiling, salted water until al dente. Shock the pasta in cold water. Lay the pasta out onto a clean kitchen towel and dry.
  • Take 1/2 of the melted butter and coat the bottom a 13 by 9 by 2-inch pan. Place a layer of pasta to cover bottom of pan. Ladle a thin layer of tomato sauce over the pasta, and sprinkle with 1/4 of the mozzarella. Add another layer of pasta sheets over the cheese. Ladle a thin layer of bechamel sauce over the pasta. Sprinkle 1/4 of the ground veal and 1/4 of the Parmigiano evenly over the bechamel. Repeat layering, until there are 3 layers of each. Add the final layer of fresh pasta and cover top layer with the remaining mozzarella, veal, Parmigiano and tomato sauce. Finally, ladle the remaining 1/4 cup of melted butter over the top and cover the pan with aluminum foil.
  • Bake approximately 30 minutes. Let stand for about 10 minutes before serving.
  • Saute the onion in olive oil until brown. Add the tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Crush tomatoes with a fork as they soften. Season with salt and pepper and add basil. Simmer for about 1 hour.
  • Bring the milk to a simmer in a saucepot. In a saute pan, combine the melted butter with the flour to make roux. Whisk the milk into the roux. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
  • Melt the butter in a saute pan. Add the veal and cook until brown and cooked through. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Drain off excess liquid and set aside.

PASTA ALLA GENOVESE



Pasta alla Genovese image

To many Neapolitans, the beef sauce La Genovese is at the heart of the city's cooking. Yet it's little more than onions (lots of them) and beef, simmered until both fall apart. Boiling the onions before cooking is a variation on traditional technique and could be considered a shortcut; it does save time, though not a whole lot of it. It's easy enough, and more traditional, to slice the onions raw and increase cooking time accordingly.

Provided by Mark Bittman

Categories     pastas

Time 3h30m

Yield 6 to 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 10

4 1/4 pounds red onions
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
1 celery rib, trimmed and roughly chopped
1/4 pound bacon or pancetta, chopped
2 1/4 pounds beef chuck, cut into 2-inch cubes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup dry white wine, plus more if desired
1 pound dried pasta, like ziti, tortiglioni or rigatoni
Finely grated Parmesan cheese

Steps:

  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Place the onions in the boiling water, and cook, covered, 15 minutes. Drain the onions, and let cool a bit, then slice very thinly.
  • Heat half the oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat; stir in the carrots, celery and bacon, and cook for 4 minutes. Add the beef, then cover with the onions. Pour the remaining oil over the onions, then sprinkle with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper. Cover, bring to a simmer and cook gently until the beef is tender, about 2 hours; the onions will release a good deal of liquid.
  • Uncover the pot and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring more frequently as the liquid reduces and lowering the heat as necessary to prevent scorching, until the meat has fallen apart and the sauce is creamy, about 45 minutes. Stir in the wine and taste, adding more wine if desired. Reduce the heat to low, and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce is glossy and quite thick, about 15 minutes more.
  • Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, then drain and toss with the sauce. Stir in Parmesan to taste, then serve.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 628, UnsaturatedFat 15 grams, Carbohydrate 68 grams, Fat 22 grams, Fiber 7 grams, Protein 40 grams, SaturatedFat 6 grams, Sodium 1110 milligrams, Sugar 13 grams, TransFat 0 grams

Tips for Making Timballo Genovese

  • Make sure to use high-quality ingredients, especially the pasta and the cheese.
  • Don't overcook the pasta. It should be al dente, or slightly firm to the bite.
  • Allow the pasta to cool slightly before assembling the timballo. This will help to prevent the pasta from becoming mushy.
  • Be generous with the cheese. It's what makes the timballo so rich and flavorful.
  • Don't be afraid to experiment with different types of cheese. A mix of Parmigiano-Reggiano, mozzarella, and ricotta is a classic, but you could also try using Fontina, Asiago, or Provolone.
  • To make the timballo easier to slice, chill it for at least 30 minutes before serving.
  • Serve the timballo with a simple green salad or some roasted vegetables.

Conclusion

Timballo Genovese is a delicious and impressive dish that is perfect for a special occasion. It's a bit time-consuming to make, but it's worth the effort. With its rich, cheesy flavor and elegant presentation, Timballo Genovese is sure to be a hit with your guests. If you're looking for a new and exciting Italian dish to try, I highly recommend giving Timballo Genovese a try.

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