**Timpano alla Big Night: A Journey Through Italian Culinary Excellence**
In the realm of Italian cuisine, few dishes hold a place as iconic and visually stunning as timpano alla Big Night. This elaborate baked pasta dish, originating from the southern region of Italy, is a masterpiece that combines layers of pasta, fillings, and sauces, all encased in a golden-brown pastry crust. Our culinary journey takes you through three enticing recipes that capture the essence of this exceptional dish:
1. **Classic Timpano alla Big Night:** Embark on a culinary adventure with our classic timpano recipe, a faithful recreation of the original dish that graced the silver screen in the beloved film "Big Night." This recipe guides you through the process of creating a savory filling made from meatballs, hard-boiled eggs, salami, prosciutto, and mozzarella cheese, which is then layered with pasta and enveloped in a flaky pastry crust.
2. **Timballo di Maccheroni:** Experience the rich flavors of Timballo di Maccheroni, a Neapolitan variation of timpano that features a tantalizing filling of béchamel sauce, peas, mushrooms, and hard-boiled eggs. This recipe showcases the versatility of timpano, demonstrating how different fillings can transform it into a unique and delectable dish.
3. **Vegetarian Timpano:** Delight in a meatless masterpiece with our vegetarian timpano recipe. This innovative version replaces the traditional meat filling with an array of roasted vegetables, sun-dried tomatoes, and spinach, creating a symphony of flavors and textures that will captivate your taste buds.
Whether you're a seasoned cook seeking a new culinary challenge or a novice looking to impress your dinner guests, these timpano recipes provide a delightful and rewarding experience. So, gather your ingredients, preheat your oven, and prepare to create a dish that will leave a lasting impression on your palate and the memories of those you share it with.
TIMPANO: A LA "BIG NIGHT" POSTED BY REQUEST
From the "Cucina & Famiglia" Italian Family Cookbook. The Timpano is best baked in a 6 qt round enamelware pan which is wider on the top than on the bottom.. this is for easy removal without fear of breaking it. A 6 qt spring-form pan will do. The dough needs to be rolled out into a thin round and the diameter is determined by the size of pan that you are using. Add together the diameter of the bottom of the pan, the diameter of the top of the pan, and twice the height of the pan. The total will approximate the diameter needed.
Provided by BETHANY T.
Categories Savory Pies
Time 3h
Yield 16 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- To make dough, place flour, eggs, salt, and olive oil into a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add 3 tbs of the water and process. Add more water 1 tbs at a time until mixture comes together and forms a ball. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead to make sure it is well mixed; set aside to rest for 5 minutes.
- Flatten dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Dust top of dough with flour and roll out until it is about 1/16 inch thick and desired diameter.
- Generously grease baking pan with butter and olive oil. Fold dough in half then in half again to form a triangle, then place in the pan. Open dough and arrange it in the pan, gently pressing it on the bottom and sides letting the excess hang over the edge of pan; set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- To Prepare filling, have all ingredients at room temperature except pasta. Toss drained pasta with the olive oil and 2 cups of the sauce. Put 6 generous cups of pasta into the bottom of the timpano. Top with 1 cup of the salami, 1 cup of the provolone, 6 of the hard boiled eggs, 1 cup of the meatballs, and 1/3 cup of the Ramano cheese.
- Pour 2 cups of sauce over the top. Top with 6 cups of remaining pasta, and then the remaining salami, provolone, hard boiled eggs, meatballs and ramano cheese. Pour on 2 cups of the sauce. Top with remaining pasta, and the remaining sauce over that.Pour the beaten eggs over the filling.
- Fold the dough over the filling and seal completely. Trim away and discard any double layers of dough.
- Bake until lightly browned, about 1 hour. Then cover with foil and and continue baking until timpano is cooked through and dough is golden brown, reaching an internal temp of 120°F Remove from oven and allow to rest for 30 minutes or more. The baked timpano should not be attached to the pan, if any part is stuck, gently cut loose with a knife.Carefully invert timpano onto a serving platter. Remove pan and allow to cool for an additional 20 minutes or more. Using a long sharp knife, cut a circle about 3 inches diameter in the center of the timpano making sure to cut all the way through to the bottom. Slice the timpano as you would a pie into serving size portions leaving center in place for support for remaining pieces.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 683.3, Fat 18.4, SaturatedFat 4.4, Cholesterol 268.6, Sodium 807.1, Carbohydrate 102.4, Fiber 4.1, Sugar 13.3, Protein 24.7
'BIG NIGHT' TIMPANO
Provided by Molly O'Neill
Categories main course
Time 4h15m
Yield 6 to 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 25
Steps:
- 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.
TIMBALLO
Steps:
- For meat sauce:
- Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté sausage, breaking up lumps with a fork, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add onion and bay leaf and sauté, stirring frequently, until onion begins to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Add carrot, celery, and salt and sauté, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute, then add wine and deglaze by boiling, scraping up any brown bits, until most of liquid is evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Add tomato purée and sugar and boil, stirring frequently, until thickened, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool sauce and discard bay leaf.
- For pasta:
- Cook pasta in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling until al dente, then transfer with a skimmer to a colander to drain (do not rinse), reserving water in pot to cook chard. Cool pasta, spread in a baking pan, to warm.
- For chard in béchamel sauce:
- Add chard to pot and simmer, uncovered, until tender, 3 to 5 minutes, then transfer with skimmer to a bowl of ice and cold water. Drain chard and squeeze handfuls, then finely chop.
- Heat butter in a 1 1/2- to 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat until foam subsides, then add garlic and cook, whisking, 1 minute. Add flour and cook, whisking, 1 minute, then add milk in a slow stream, whisking. Bring to a boil, whisking. Reduce heat and simmer, whisking occasionally, until sauce is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in chard, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and 2 tablespoons Parmigiano, then remove pan from heat.
- Assemble and bake timballo:
- Put oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 375°F.
- Oil soufflé dish and line bottom with a round of parchment paper, then oil parchment. Cover bottom of dish with a single layer of pasta. Sprinkle 1/2 cup mozzarella and 3 tablespoons Parmigiano over pasta, then spoon half of meat sauce in an even layer over cheese. Arrange one third of remaining pasta over meat sauce in soufflé dish and top with all of chard, then another layer of pasta (about half of remainder). Sprinkle with remainder of cheeses, then spoon remaining meat sauce over cheese. Top with remaining pasta. (You may have pasta left over.) Cover pasta with an oiled round of parchment (oiled side down) and cover dish with foil.
- Bake in a in wide 6- to 8-quart pot until bubbling and a metal skewer or thin knife inserted in center of timballo comes out hot to the touch, about 1 hour. Remove soufflé dish from water bath and let stand, covered, 15 minutes. Remove foil and parchment and run a knife around edge of timballo to loosen, then invert a platter over soufflé dish and invert timballo onto platter. Remove soufflé dish and remaining parchment.
Tips:
- Use high-quality ingredients. This will make a big difference in the final flavor of the dish.
- Don't be afraid to experiment. There are many different ways to make timpano, so feel free to adjust the ingredients and cooking method to your liking.
- Make sure the pasta is cooked al dente. This means that it should be cooked until it is tender but still has a slight bite to it.
- Don't overfill the pasta shell. Otherwise, it will be difficult to seal and cook evenly.
- Bake the timpano in a preheated oven. This will help to ensure that it cooks evenly.
- Let the timpano rest for a few minutes before slicing and serving. This will help to prevent it from falling apart.
Conclusion:
Timpano is a delicious and impressive dish that is perfect for a special occasion. With a little planning and effort, you can easily make this dish at home. So next time you're looking for a show-stopping dish to serve your guests, give timpano a try.
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