Timpano

Active Time:

1 hr 20 mins

Total Time:

3 hrs 55 mins

Servings:

Yield:

12 slices

This dome of pasta, cheese, and vegetables encased in pastry is a labor of love, but is a glorious centerpiece for any meal. Feel free to swap in your favorite roasted or grilled vegetables in this recipe, or add cooked chicken or pork if you prefer.

Frequently asked questions

What is a timpano?

A timpano is an Italian dish of pasta, tomato sauce, roasted vegetables (and sometimes meat), hard-boiled eggs, and cheese shaped into a dome, covered with dough and baked. It was made famous in America in the Stanley Tucci movie Big Night, and is a dramatic centerpiece dish for any meal.

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

A few details make this recipe work especially well. We salted the eggplant to extract the liquid and make it less spongy. This step reduces any little air pockets in the eggplant, making it firmer so it absorbs less oil. The result is eggplant that is perfectly tender after it is cooked, and cuts well when it’s added to the rest of the dish.

It’s important to undercook the pasta before layering it in the timpano; check the recipe for our notes on how long to cook it. The pasta filling becomes very flavorful and moist from the liquid the eggplant and spinach release, as well as from the sauce. The recipe makes about six cups of tomato sauce. You’ll toss about one and a half cups of sauce with the pasta, and then drizzle one cup over each layer, for a total of three layers total.

You layer all the ingredients into the dough, which is similar to a fresh pasta dough. Then, break through the crispy exterior to reveal the tender pasta and vegetables, not to mention the cheese inside. It’s dramatic and delicious.

Ingredients

Dough

4 cups (about 1 pound, 1 ounce) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons tap water
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt

Tomato sauce

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
6 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced (about 1/3 cup)
1/4 cup tomato paste (from 1 [6-ounce] can)
2 (28-ounce) cans whole peeled San Marzano plum tomatoes
2 cups tap water
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 (6-inch) basil sprigs (about 1/4 ounce)

Broiled eggplant

2 large (1 pound each) eggplants, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick rounds (about 20 slices)
4 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Assembly

2 pounds uncooked ziti
1 (5-ounce) package baby spinach
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) unsalted butter, plus more for greasing pan
1 pound pre-grated pecorino Romano cheese (about 4 cups), plus more for serving
6 hard-cooked large eggs, peeled and halved lengthwise
1 pound sliced provolone cheese (24 slices)
1 large garlic clove, grated on a Microplane grater (about 1/2 teaspoon)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

Prepare the Dough

Place flour, eggs, water, oil, and salt in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse until blended and moist clumps form, about 15 pulses. Transfer to a lightly floured work surface, and knead Dough until smooth and firm, about 1 minute. Divide Dough into 2 portions, a portion weighing 1 pound 2 ounces, and another portion weighing 8 ounces. Pat each Dough portion into a 1-inch-thick disk, wrap each disk in plastic wrap, and chill in refrigerator at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.

While Dough is chilling, prepare the Tomato Sauce

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium. Add garlic, and cook, stirring often, until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add tomato paste, and cook, stirring often, until deeper in color, about 2 minutes. Lightly crush tomatoes by hand, and add crushed tomatoes and any juices to the saucepan. Stir in water, salt, pepper, and basil, and bring to a boil over medium, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low to maintain a simmer; cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens and flavors meld, 30 to 45 minutes. You should have about 6 cups of sauce. Remove from heat; remove and discard basil sprigs. Cover sauce to keep warm.

While Tomato Sauce is simmering, prepare the Broiled Eggplant

Preheat oven to broil with rack about 6 inches from heat source. Sprinkle both sides of eggplant rounds evenly with 4 teaspoons of the salt, and place in an even layer on 2 large, rimmed baking sheets fitted with wire racks. Let eggplant rounds stand at room temperature until liquid is released, about 30 minutes. Pat eggplant rounds dry with paper towels. Brush both sides of eggplant rounds evenly with olive oil, and sprinkle evenly with black pepper and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Broil in preheated oven, 1 baking sheet at a time, until lightly golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes per side. Remove from oven, and let cool slightly, about 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F, and position oven rack in lower third of oven.

Assemble the Timpano

Cook pasta in a large pot of generously salted water over medium-high until very al dente (about 6 to 8 minutes, or 4 minutes shorter than package directions). During last 2 minutes of cooking, stir in spinach. Drain pasta mixture, and transfer to a large bowl; stir in 1 1/2 cups of the Tomato Sauce. Set aside until ready to use.
Generously grease a 5 1/2-quart Dutch oven with butter, and set aside. On a clean work surface, roll out larger Dough disk to an 18-inch round, about 1/16-inch thick. Press into bottom and up sides of prepared Dutch oven, leaving 1/2-inch excess hanging over all sides; set aside. Roll out smaller Dough disk to a 12-inch round, about 1/16-inch thick; transfer to a large baking sheet, and refrigerate, uncovered, until ready to use.
Spoon about 4 cups of the pasta mixture into bottom of crust and smooth the top flat. Sprinkle about 1 1/3 cups of the pecorino Romano on top. Arrange one-third of the Broiled Eggplant rounds (6 to 8 slices) and 4 of the egg halves in an even layer over pecorino Romano; spoon 1 cup of the Tomato Sauce over Eggplant and egg layer. Place one-third (8 slices) of the provolone in an even layer over Tomato Sauce. Repeat layers 2 times with 8 cups of the pasta mixture, remaining 2 2/3 cups pecorino Romano, remaining Broiled Eggplant rounds, remaining 8 egg halves, 2 cups of the Tomato Sauce, and remaining two-thirds (16 slices) provolone. Top with remaining 4 cups pasta mixture, gently pressing down on pasta to even out and remove any air pockets. Cover filling with chilled rolled dough, and trim crust to leave a 1/4-inch overhang on all sides. Press edges together to seal; roll crust edges under, and crimp as desired. Cut 5 (2-inch) slits in center of top crust. Bake at 350°F until top is a light golden brown, about 1 hour. Let cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes.
While Timpano cools, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-low. Add garlic and parsley; cook, stirring often, until aromatic and parsley is bright green, about 1 minute. Remove from heat; cover and keep warm.
Run a butter knife or spatula around edge of Dutch oven. Using a large cutting board, invert Timpano, and remove Dutch oven. Brush all over with garlic butter. Slice and serve immediately with remaining 1 1/2 cups Tomato Sauce and additional pecorino Romano.