Timballo Classico Maccheroni

Serves 8

Mini Meatballs:

½ lb. mixture ground veal, beef and pork

1 tsp. minced fresh parsley

1 tsp. fresh sage (or 1/4 tsp. dried)

salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil (Grove 45)

1 Tbs. unsalted butter

1 Tbs. Marsala wine

Timballo:

unsalted butter for baking pan

3 Tbs. unseasoned bread crumbs

4 cups Bolognase sauce (recipe available upon request)

1 - 16 ox. can tomato puree

1 1/2 lbs. lg. Macaroni (or Penne)

2 eggs - beaten

1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 lb. shredded Mozzarella

6 slices prosciutto - torn into shreds

1 cup mushrooms - sliced

2 Tbs. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

mini meatballs

3 hard boiled eggs - cut into thick round slices

In mixing bowl combine the ground meats, herbs, salt, pepper and Marsala. Shape mixture into mini meatballs, approx. the size of a garbanzo bean. Set aside.

Heat medium fry pan over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and butter. Heat. Add meatballs and brown evenly. Drain on paper towel. Meatballs can be made in advance.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Heavily butter a 10" spring form pan. Dust evenly with bread crumbs. Set asie.

Add tomato puree to Bolognase sauce. Bring to a boil, reduce heat slightly and simmer 20 minutes, until mixture is reduced slightly.

While sauce is simmering, saute sliced mushroom in 2 Tbs. Olive oil until tender and slightly goldened.

While sauce is simmering, cook the pasta according to package directions. Cook al dente. Don’t overcook. Pasta continues cooking during baking process. Drain well. Do not rinse. Return pasta to the pot it was cooked in. Add beaten eggs, fold in gently. Add 4 ladles of Bolognase, fold again. Add ½ cup grated cheese. Fold again. Be sure all pasta is well coated.

In baking pan add one thin layer of pasta mixture. Sprinkle evenly with 2 Tbs. grated cheese, 1/3 Mozzarella, 1/3 prosciutto, 1/3 mushrooms, 1/3 of meatballs and 1 of the sliced eggs.

Cover with 2 ladles of sauce. Repeat layering. Finish with pasta, sauce and grated cheese. Dust the top with bread crumbs and dot evenly with butter.

Bake 45 minutes in center oven, until top is lightly crusty. Cool 15 minutes. Loosen sides by using a butter knife or spatula. Unmold. Sprinkle with grated cheese and serve.

 

 

 

 

Casseruola di spaghetti di Timballo

Serves 4

1 Tbs. Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Grove 45)

16 oz. pkg. Spaghetti (not Angel Hair or Vermicelli)

24 oz. Marinara sauce (recipe available upon request)

3 - 4 Italian sausages - removed from casing and cooked until pink is gone

1 lg. red onion - coarsely chopped

8 oz. spicy salami - diced

1 green bell pepper - coarsely chopped

6 oz. fresh mushrooms - chopped

4 oz. black olives - sliced

1 Tbs. capers

3 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese

2 Tbs. freshly grated Parmesan

Heat over to 350 degrees.

Brush olive oil over the bottom and sides of your baking form.

Bring large pot of unsalted water to boil. Cook pasta per package directions. Pasta should be al dente. It will continue to cook during baking.

Drain pasta well. Do not rinse. Mix pasta, marinara, sausage, onion, salami, peppers, mushrooms and olives together in large bowl or the pasta pot.

Pour ingredients into baking form. Top evenly with Mozzarella and sprinkle evenly with Parmesan.

Bake until bubbly and cheesy top is lightly golden. Approx. 30 minutes.

Unmold and serve immediately.

Timballo con Risso

Serves 8

1/4 cup + 5 Tbs. Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Regina Grove)

½ stick unsalted butter

1 sm. red onion - minced

2 1/4 cups Arborio rice

3/4 cup white wine

3 lg. whole cloves fresh garlic - peeled

6 fresh basil leaves

pinch of sugar

3 cups water

3 ½ cups of stock (chicken or vegetable)

6 oz. finely grated Parmesan cheese

6 lg. ripe tomatoes

12 oz. Mozzarella Fresca

16 oz. frozen spinach - cooked and all moisture squeezed out

salt and pepper to taste

Sauce:

Cut an "X" across the round end of the tomatoes. Not too deep a cut. Just break the skin. Drop into large pot of rapidly boiling water and simmer for 1 minute or less, until you see the skin of the "X" begin to pop open. Remove carefully and drop into large bowl ice water to stop cooking process.

Peel skin, cut into quarters and scoop out center seed section, keeping only the meaty part of the tomato.

Put 1/4 cup olive oil into skillet. Place garlic cloves into cold oil. Heat oil and cook until cloves are pale yellow. Remove pan from heat and add tomato pieces. Return pan to stove and add basil leaves, cooking until tomatoes soften. Add 2 cups warm water and pinch of sugar. Simmer until mixture reduces and thickens. Add remaining water and simmer until mixture reduces again. Remove garlic cloves. Hint: don’t throw away the cloves, save to spread on bruschetta.

Timballo:

Heat over to 350 degrees.

Heat 3 tbs. of olive oil and butter in fry pan. Saute onion until soft. Add rice. Cook rice for 3 - 5 minutes until it begins to crackle. Add wine. Cook for 3 minutes to allow wine to reduce.

Add tomato sauce and 2 ½ cups stock. Cook over medium heat, stirring regularly until rice is firm and thickened, approx. 20 minutes. Add more stock if necessary during this process to achieve the right texture. Add 1/3 of the Parmesan, mixing well. Salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat.

Cut mozzarella into ½ inch slices and put into a colander to drain. Sauté spinach in the remaining oil flavored with the garlic and seasoned with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Spread half the rice mixture into bottom of lg. round casserole dish. At least 3 inches deep. Add spinach, layer of Mozzarella another 1/3 of Parmesan. Repeat with remaining rice, layer of Mozzarella and remaining 1/3 Parmesan. Bake 20 minutes. Serve immediately while cheese is bubbly on top.

Adding one generous layer of bechamel sauce to the middle of any of the above recipes takes it up another notch.

Bechamel Sauce

32 oz. whole milk -cold

½ stick unsalted butter

2 heaping Tbs. flour

1/4 tsp. white pepper

½ tsp. nutmeg

Melt butter in medium pot. Slowly add flour, whisking until mixture is smooth.

Add cold milk slowly to butter mixture using wire whip. Add pepper and nutmeg. Continue to whip constantly over medium heat until sauce thickens.

Mangia Bene