"BIG NIGHT"
The Recipe: Timballo di Maccheroni
Serves 6
Ingredients:
For the filling
14 oz tomato purée
3/4 lb lean pork
3/4 lb lean beef
12 oz maccheroni
7 oz aged provola, diced
3 oz pancetta
1 large egg
4 large eggs, hard-boiled
1 onion
Tomato paste
Flour
Red wine
Parsley
Fresh rosemary
Fresh thyme
Extra-virgin olive oil
Peanut oil
Salt
Pepper
For the crust
21/2 cups flour
5 oz. butter
1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
2 large egg yolks
Salt
For the filling :
Mince the pancetta and onion separately, then brown for 5 minutes in a saucepan with 3 tbsp oil, 1 rosemary sprig, and a few thyme leaves.
Add the 2 pieces of whole meat and brown on both sides over a high flame for 5-6 minutes. Add 1/2 cup red wine, let simmer for a few minutes, then add the tomato purée and 2 tbsp tomato paste and cover. Cook for 2 hours and 30 minutes.
Then remove the lid and continue cooking for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Let cool. Setting aside the tomato sauce, remove the meat, cut it into pieces and grind together with 1 egg and 1 tbsp minced parsley, adding salt and pepper to taste. Shape into walnut-sized balls and pour enough peanut oil into a pan to cover while frying.
Roll them in the flour and fry for 1 minute. Drain on paper towels. Boil the maccheroni, draining it 3-4 minutes prior to the time indicated on the package, then cover with the tomato sauce.
For the crust:
Combine the butter, flour, sugar, and a pinch of salt into a sandy mixture. Mix it with 2 egg yolks and 2 tbsp water. Shape it into a smooth ball, cover, and let rest for 1 hour.
For the Timballo:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut the hard-boiled eggs into wedges. Roll the dough out until paper-thin and use it to line a greased 8” hinged mold. In the mold, layer maccheroni, hard-boiled eggs, meatballs, and provola, and top with another layer of maccheroni. Fold over the edges of the dough and gently press down to even its surface. Bake for around 1 hour.
Let the timbale cool slightly in its mold, then turn upside-down onto a platter and serve.
