How to make timballo – recipe

As fans of Stanley Tucci’s directorial debut, Big Night, will know, “timpano is a pasta with a special crust, shaped like a drum … and inside are … all the most important things in the world”. More commonly known as a timballo, its film star good looks also pop up in Luchino Visconti’s 1963 adaptation of Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa’s The Leopard. Could its next outing be on your dinner table?
Prep 20 min
Cook 1 hr 45 minServes 8-10
Cost About 70p a head
2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for greasing and frying
3 large aubergines
Salt and black pepper
1 fat garlic clove, peeled and crushed 1 pinch chilli flakes (optional)700ml passata, or tinned tomatoes, whizzed1 bunch fresh basil, leaves and stalks separated
1 tsp sugar, or balsamic vinegar (optional)50g parmesan, pecorino or vegetarian alternative, grated500g dried pasta – rigatoni, macaroni, anelli or similar work well250g mozzarella, drained
Lightly grease a deep baking dish or cake tin about 20cm in diameter. Note, Tucci’s family timballo, the recipe for which is in his book Taste: A Life Through Food, and easily found online, has a classic pastry crust, but I’ve gone for a lighter Sicilian timballo di melanzane, which has an aubergine shell.
Slice the aubergines about ½cm thick (I like to cut them into rounds, because I think they look prettier, but long strips are easier to work with, so it’s up to you) and sprinkle very lightly with fine salt. Leave to sit in a colander for at least 30 minutes. (This stage is optional, but it does give the aubergines a better flavour.)
While they’re salting, make the sauce. Pour the two tablespoons of olive oil into a large saucepan on a medium heat. Add the garlic and chilli flakes, if using, and fry, stirring, for a minute. Add the passata, wash out the bottle with a little water, and add that to the pan, too.
Bring to a simmer, then turn down the heat, add the basil stems (set aside the leaves for now), season with a little salt and cook gently for about 30 minutes, until the sauce is fairly thick. Fish out and discard the basil stems, taste and season, adding the sugar if necessary.
Stir in the grated cheese and the basil leaves.
Fill a frying pan with about 1cm oil and put it on a high heat. Once hot, fry the aubergines in batches until they’re floppy and lightly golden on both sides, then drain on a plate or tray lined with kitchen paper. Make sure the pan comes back up to temperature before adding another batch, so the aubergines don’t soak up too much oil.
Gently reheat the sauce. Cook the pasta in salted boiling water until very al dente – about four minutes less than the suggested cooking time – then drain well, tip into the sauce and cook for another minute. Take off the heat and turn on the oven to 180C (160C)/350F/gas 4.
Securely wrap the base of a loose-bottomed cake tin in foil and put it inside a larger baking tin in case of leakage. Use the aubergine slices to line the entire insides of the tin, arranging them so they overlap the rim.
Tip half the pasta mix into the aubergine casing, then tear (or cut) the mozzarella into pieces and scatter these in a layer on top. Add the remaining pasta.
Fold the overhanging slices of aubergine over the top of the filling, and fill in any uncovered patches with the remaining aubergine (you may have leftovers, but that’s better than risking a patchy timballo). Cover the top with foil (you can make it in advance up to this stage), then bake for 45 minutes. Remove and leave to rest and cool to warm or room temperature.
Put a serving dish or board on top of the timballo, then turn over, unclip and release.
This is a very adaptable dish: as well as the mozzarella, you could also add layers of meatballs, ham or salami, sliced hard-boiled eggs, cooked seafood, roast vegetables, sauteed mushrooms or greens. Essentially, just about anything you think will pair well with tomatoey pasta will work here. Just make sure any vegetables are cooked, so they don’t make things go soggy.