Best Timpano Di Maccheroni The Mythic Pasta Dome Recipes

TIMPANO ALLA "BIG NIGHT"

Steps:

• Prepare the dough: Place flour, eggs, salt and olive oil in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. (A large-capacity food processor may also be used.) Add 3 tablespoons water and process. Add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until mixture comes together and forms a ball. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead to make sure it is well mixed, about 10 minutes. Set aside to rest for 5 minutes. (The dough may be made in advance and refrigerated overnight; return to room temperature before rolling out.)
• Flatten dough on a lightly floured work surface. Dust top with flour and roll it out, dusting with flour and flipping the dough over from time to time, until it is about 1/16-inch thick and is the desired diameter. (To calculate the diameter for the dough round, add the diameter of the bottom of a heavy 6-quart baking pan, the diameter of the top of the pan and twice the height of the pan.) Grease the baking pan generously with butter and olive oil. Fold dough in half and then in half again, to form a triangle, and place in pan. Open dough and arrange it in the pan, gently pressing it against the bottom and the sides, draping extra dough over the sides. Set aside.
• Prepare the filling: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Have salami, provolone, hard-cooked eggs, meatballs and ragù sauce at room temperature. Stir 1/2 cup water into sauce to thin it. Toss pasta with olive oil and allow to cool slightly before tossing with 2 cups sauce. Distribute 4 generous cups of pasta on bottom of timpano. Top with 1 cup salami, 1 cup provolone, 3 eggs, 1 cup meatballs and 1/3 cup Romano cheese. Pour 2 cups sauce over ingredients. Repeat process to create additional layers until filling comes within 1 inch of the top of the pan, ending with 2 cups sauce. Pour beaten eggs over the filling. Fold pasta dough over filling to seal completely. Trim away and discard any double layers of dough. Make sure timpano is tightly sealed. If you notice any small openings cut a piece of trimmed dough to fit over opening. Use a small amount of water to moisten these scraps of dough to ensure that a tight seal has been made.
• Bake until lightly browned, about 1 hour. Cover with aluminum foil and continue baking until the timpano is cooked through and the dough is golden brown (and reaches an internal temperature of 120 degrees), about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 30 or more minutes to allow timpano to cool and contract before attempting to remove from pan. The baked timpano should not adhere to the pan. To test, gently shake pan to the left and then to the right. It should slightly spin in the pan. If any part is still attached, carefully detach with a knife.
• To remove timpano from pan, place a baking sheet or thin cutting board that covers the entire diameter on the pan on top of the timpano. Grasp the baking sheet or cutting board and the rim of the pan firmly and invert timpano. Remove pan and allow timpano to cool for 30 minutes. Using a long, sharp knife, cut a circle about 3 inches in diameter in the center of the timpano, making sure to cut all the way through to the bottom. Then slice timpano as you would a pie into individual portions, leaving the center circle as a support for the remaining pieces. The cut pieces should hold together, revealing built-up layers of great stuff.

MODERN TIMPANO

Steps:

• Make the sauce: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, warm 1 tablespoon of oil. Add sausage and cook until well browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain.
• Return pan to heat, add another tablespoon of oil and stir in smashed garlic cloves. Sauté for 1 minute, then stir in the onion, red chile flakes and a large pinch of kosher salt. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until garlic is browned around the edges and onion is softened, 7 to 10 minutes.
• Pour in wine and let simmer until reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in tomato purée, basil sprig and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Bring to a very gentle simmer and cook until thick and deeply flavored, 40 to 50 minutes.
• Meanwhile, roast the squash: Heat oven to 425 degrees. Place squash on a rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil, salt and pepper, and toss well to coat. Roast until browned and tender, 35 to 40 minutes, turning the squash pieces after 20 minutes so they cook evenly. Let cool.
• Prepare the broccoli rabe: Roughly cut up the rabe into 1-inch pieces. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, warm remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Add sliced garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Stir in broccoli rabe and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, tossing frequently, until just barely tender, 5 to 7 minutes. If the garlic starts to get very brown before the rabe is tender, add a tablespoon of water to the pan if necessary. Let cool.
• Prepare the ricotta mixture: In a medium bowl, stir together ricotta, egg, 1/4 cup chopped basil, the black pepper and the nutmeg.
• Cook the penne in a large pot of very well-salted water for 4 minutes (it won't even be halfway cooked, but will finish cooking in the timpano). Drain and put penne into a large bowl. Toss with the sauce, sausage, mozzarella, and salami or prosciutto.
• Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter bottom and sides of a 3- to 4-quart Dutch oven.
• Assemble the timpano: Brush any clinging cornmeal or flour from the pasta sheets if necessary. Use pasta sheets to cover bottom and up the sides of the pot, patching as needed to make sure there are no gaps. Leave any overhanging dough draped over the sides to help cover the filling.
• Spoon 1/3 of the pasta mixture into the bottom of the pot. For the best presentation when you cut this, you could try to make sure that all the penne face the same way, but it's not essential. Top with the ricotta mixture, then another 1/3 of the pasta. Arrange squash pieces on top of pasta, and tuck broccoli rabe around and over squash. Finish with a layer of the remaining pasta mixture.
• Tuck the overhanging lasagna over the filling, and fill in any gaps with more pasta dough. You want to make sure the whole top is covered. Brush top of the timpano with water to make sure that the casserole is tightly sealed. Cover the Dutch oven with its cover or with foil.
• Transfer pot to oven and bake for 1 hour. Uncover pot and continue cooking until it reaches an internal temperature of 120 degrees, about 15 to 20 minutes longer. Let it cool, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Run a butter knife along the edges of the pot to make sure the timpano isn't sticking. Place a large platter or cutting board over the pot and flip, unmolding the timpano from the pot. Let cool 10 to 20 minutes more before slicing and serving.

TIMPANO RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Make the pasta dough. Combine the flour and salt and make a small mountain of flour on a clean, flat surface. Make a well in the middle.
• Add 2 eggs to the well, and using a fork, carefully incorporate the eggs into the flour. Add the egg yolks and carefully mix into the flour.
• Once the eggs are incorporated, knead the dough by pulling, stretching, and folding for 3-5 minutes, or until it's smooth and elastic.
• Shape the dough into a ball, and wrap it in plastic wrap. Rest in a fridge for 30 minutes to overnight.
• Make the ricotta-herb mixture. In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, parsley, basil, Parmesan cheese, egg, salt, and pepper. Mix well and set aside.
• In a large pot of boiling water, cook the rigatoni, then the jumbo shell pasta for 5 minutes less than the suggested cooking time. Transfer the cooked pasta to two separate medium bowls.
• Mix the marinara sauce with cooked rigatoni. Set aside.
• Stuff the jumbo shells with the ricotta-herb mixture. Set aside.
• Grease 10-inch (25 cm) diameter dutch oven with olive oil.
• Using a rolling pin, roll out the pasta dough on a lightly floured surface until it is about ⅛ inches (3 mm) thick and 2 times larger than the Dutch oven you are using.
• Fold the rolled out dough into a triangle and transfer it to the pot, pressing down around the edges, letting the excess dough hang over the sides of the pot.
• Preheat the oven to 375˚F (190˚C)
• Layer the pasta-lined pot with the rigatoni, mozzarella, meatballs, hard-boiled eggs, provolone, ricotta-stuffed shells, caramelized onions, and sausages.
• Fold the pasta dough over the sausages and cover with the lid. Bake for 45 minutes, then remove the lid and bake for 30 minutes more. Cool for at least 30 minutes.
• Invert the timpano onto a cutting board and cool for 10 more minutes before cutting.
• Serve with marinara sauce.
• Enjoy!

POLPETTE ALLA NAPOLETANA (NEAPOLITAN MEATBALLS)

Steps:

• In a shallow bowl, soak the bread cubes in water to cover for a minute or two.
• Drain the bread cubes and squeeze with your fingers to press out the excess moisture (make sure you do this well).
• In a large bowl, combine the bread cubes, beef, eggs, garlic, pecorino, parsley, toasted pine nuts, salt and pepper, and mix with your hands to incorporate.
• With wet hands, form the mixture into 12-15 meatballs, each smaller than a tennis ball, but larer than a golf ball.
• In a large, heavy-bottomed skillet, heat the oil over medium heat until almost smoking.
• Add the meatballs and, working in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding the pan, cook until deep golden brown on all sides, about 10 minutes.
• Add the tomato sauce and reduce the heat to a simmer.
• Cook all the meatballs for 30 minutes.
• Set aside and allow to cool; save the sauce for another use.

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.