A Lush Slice Of Timpano

The pasta pie timpano is the perfect dish to make for a cozy holiday pary.It's an impressive layering sort of like lasagna and torta rustica all rolled into one. Each slice yields up a melange of meats , veggies and sauces, a filling trio of good flavors and textures.

Melissa Clark decided to try her hand at making this gem of Italian cooking adding tweaks here and there.Timpano should sound familiar to Big Night Fans, the 1996 movie about two brothers running an Italian restaurant at the Jersey shore in the Fifties.It is crown shaped dish, filled with everything good.Its' origin is Neopolitan and it means kettle drum, thanks to its  shape.  The shell has to be made from pasta. Ms Clark recommends using precooked lasagna sheets will will leave a visible seam however purists may want to make their own sheets to have a flawless top. If you do make it via the machine, then think of tinting the dough red and green This can be done by separating the dough into two equal parts and tinting one half with half a cup of beet juice and the juice from.cooked spinach leaves for the green.If you want a lovely  deep golden color use egg yolks only .

The filling can be varied, however Ms/ Clark gives a pretty good mix of ingredients.She uses sausages  and salames or procsciutto for the interior. You can also use chopped meat or meat balls.A true timpano also has eggs in it but she subs it the more colorful and healthier roasted squash. Broccoli rabe is a must, both for its burst of color and flavor. as as one onion for sweetness. Ironically there';s also more pasta in the filling, usually penne regatta, but rotelli , plain or tricolore, could easily be subbed in.Cheese is de rigeur and Ms Clark uses buffalo mozzarella and fresh ricotta. This gives the pie both chewiness and creaminess.It has to be moist too, so you 'll need one 28 ounce can of tomato sauce along with a sprig of basil mixed in..Red wine is added too although if you want you can omit it.Nutmeg and a pinch of red pepper flakes are thrown into the mix to round it out. Keep  in mind this is a labor intensive  recipe. The squash has to be roasted for forty minutes while the broccoli rabe has to be sauteed first in a garlic infused oil. The penne also has to be cooked as well and if you make the pasta sheets extra work too.The finished product is worth it, though.


Timpano is a yummy pie, perfect for a holiday party.Every slice is a rich mix of flavors and textures. Try your hand at it for some good eating.