Best 3 Eggplant Timballo With Cavatelli Recipes

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Eggplant timballo with cavatelli is a classic Sicilian dish that is perfect for a special occasion. In this article, we'll explore the history and origins of this delicious dish and provide you with a comprehensive guide to making your own eggplant timballo with cavatelli at home. We'll cover topics such as selecting the right ingredients, preparing the eggplant, cooking the cavatelli, and assembling and baking the timballo. Along the way, we'll offer tips and tricks to ensure that your timballo turns out perfect every time. So, gather your ingredients, preheat your oven, and let's get started on this culinary journey!

Here are our top 3 tried and tested recipes!

EGGPLANT TIMBALE



Eggplant Timbale image

Provided by Giada De Laurentiis

Categories     main-dish

Time 1h55m

Yield 4 to 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 14

2 medium eggplants, sliced 1/4-inch thick
1/3 cup olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound penne pasta
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound Italian pork sausage
1/4 cup Marsala wine
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
2 cups store-bought marinara sauce
1 1/2 cups diced smoked mozzarella cheese (about 6 ounces)
3/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus 1/4 cup
1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Steps:

  • Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or pre-heat a gas or charcoal grill. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the eggplant slices with 1/3 cup olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill the eggplant until tender and colored with grill marks, about 4 minutes per side. Set aside.
  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta.
  • Meanwhile, warm the 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the beef and pork, and brown the meat, breaking it into bite-sized pieces with a wooden spoon, about 5 minutes. Add the Marsala and cook until the liquid has evaporated, about 3 minutes. Turn off the heat. Add the peas and marinara sauce and stir to combine. Add the cheeses, basil, and cooked pasta. Set aside.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the springform pan with the grilled eggplant. Be sure that the slices overlap and hang over the edge of the pan. Fill the pan with the pasta mixture, pressing down to make sure the pan is filling up evenly. Fold the eggplant slices up over the top of the pasta and add a few more slices on top to completely enclose the timbale. Bake the timbale until warmed through and the cheese has melted, about 30 minutes. Let rest on the counter for 10 minutes to set. To serve, invert the timbale onto a serving plate and remove the springform pan. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese over the top. Slice and serve.

A DRUM OF EGGPLANT AND BUCATINI (TIMBALLO DI MELANZANE E BUCATIN



A Drum of Eggplant and Bucatini (Timballo Di Melanzane E Bucatin image

Making a timballo, or timpano, is an event. It becomes the moment in which ordinary ingredients like macaroni, cheese, and vegetables are transformed into an extraordinary, impressive drum of baked pasta that, when unmolded, receives a standing ovation. The region of Campania claims the timballo as its own and the recipe that follows comes from Sorrento. It calls for bucatini, a thicker cut of hollow spaghetti, which neatly nestles and holds the ingredients together. It is customary in Campania to use buffalo milk mozzarella, a cheese with a delicate texture and superb taste, but it is very perishable and not readily available. Fresh cow's milk mozzarella can be used instead. Assembling the timballo is easy when done in stages. Make the sauce several days ahead; cube the cheese and cook the marble-size meatballs 2 days ahead. Patience is the key to the unmolding; you will get much neater wedges by allowing the timballo to cool for about 20 minutes - and the joy of tasting that first forkful will be worthy of the best drumroll.

Provided by Cook4_6

Categories     European

Time 2h30m

Yield 10-12 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 24

3 large eggplants (each at least 11 inches long)
salt
1/2 cup toasted breadcrumb
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 celery rib, finely chopped
1 large carrot, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
5 cups chopped chopped fresh plum tomatoes (drained, about 10 medium size) or 5 cups canned plum tomatoes (drained, about 10 medium size)
1/4 cup dry red wine
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
fresh ground black pepper
2 cups bucatini pasta, broken into thirds
1 lb ground veal
1 large egg, beaten
2 tablespoons dry white wine
2 tablespoons freshly grated pecorino cheese
1/2 cup toasted breadcrumb
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 1/2 cups cubed fresh mozzarella cheese (fior di latte)
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/2 cup peanut oil (for frying)
1/4 cup freshly grated pecorino cheese

Steps:

  • Cut off the stems of the eggplants and discard. Slice the eggplant lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices.
  • Salt and layer the eggplant slices in a colander set over a bowl.
  • Place a large bowl of water on top of the slices to act as a weight. Let the eggplant "sweat" for at least 1 hour to remove the excess water.
  • Butter a 9 x 3 1/2-inch-deep round mold or cake pan and coat the inside evenly with the 1/2 cup bread crumbs.
  • Shake out the excess crumbs and refrigerate the mold until ready to fill.
  • To make the sauce:
  • In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil and cook, stirring, the onions, carrot, and celery until they soften.
  • Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until the garlic softens.
  • Stir in the tomatoes, red wine, and bay leaf.
  • Cover the pan and simmer the sauce for 30 minutes.
  • Season with salt and pepper and set aside. Remove the bay leaf before using.
  • Cook the bucatini according to the directions.
  • Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Set aside.
  • In a medium-size bowl, combine the veal, egg, white wine, the 2 tablespoons grated Pecorino, bread crumbs, and salt. Mix gently to just combine the ingredients. Form marble-sized meatballs with your hands.
  • Note: Instead of frying the meatballs, bake Bake the meatball on a lightly greased cookie sheet at 350ºF until nicely browned, about 20 minutes.
  • Transfer the meatballs to the bowl with the bucatini. Add the mozzarella, parsley, and 2 cups of the tomato sauce. Stir to combine the ingredients well and set aside.
  • Rinse and dry the eggplant slices.
  • Heat the peanut oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Fry the eggplant slices a few at a time until they soften, about 2 minutes on each side.
  • Drain the slices on brown paper.
  • Use additional oil if the pan seems dry.
  • Preheat the oven to 325ºF.
  • Line the prepared mold with the eggplant slices, draping them lengthwise over the bottom and overlapping them up the sides of the mold. There should be about a 3-inch overhang over the top edges of the mold. Make sure there are no open spots and that the mold is completely lined with the slices.
  • Spoon the bucatini mixture evenly in the mold, packing it down with a wooden spoon all the way around.
  • Fold the overhanging slices of eggplant in over the top of the mold; the mixture should be completely encased by the eggplant.
  • Spread 1/2 cup of the remaining tomato sauce over the top of the mold and sprinkle with the 1/4 cup Pecorino.
  • Bake the timballo, uncovered, for 45 minutes. It is done when the timballo shrinks a bit along the sides and a knife will easily move along the sides.
  • Remove the mold from the oven and loosely cover the top with a sheet of aluminum foil. Let the mold stand for 20 minutes.
  • Heat the remaining tomato sauce. Remove the foil from the timballo and run a butter knife around the inside edges to loosen it. Place a serving dish larger than the mold over the top and carefully invert it onto the dish.
  • Cut the timballo into wedges and serve with additional sauce on the side.
  • Tip: Use fresh mozzarella cheese, but if it is not available, substitute pasteurized.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 355.2, Fat 21.9, SaturatedFat 6.1, Cholesterol 71.6, Sodium 827.5, Carbohydrate 22.9, Fiber 7.5, Sugar 7.8, Protein 17.3

EGGPLANT TIMBALE



Eggplant Timbale image

I saw this recipe on the foodnetwork channel, courtesy of Giada De Laurentis. You need a 9 in. springform pan.

Provided by Chef Mean Green

Categories     Vegetable

Time 1h45m

Yield 1 pan, 4-6 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 15

2 medium eggplants, sliced 1/4-inch thick
1/3 cup olive oil, plus
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/2 lb penne pasta
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 lb Italian pork sausage
1/4 cup marsala wine
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
2 cups store-bought marinara sauce
1 1/2 cups diced smoked mozzarella cheese (about 6 ounces)
3/4 cup grated pecorino romano cheese, plus 1/4 cup
1 cup chopped fresh basil leaf

Steps:

  • Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or pre-heat a gas or charcoal grill. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the eggplant slices with 1/3 cup olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  • Grill the eggplant until tender and colored with grill marks, about 4 minutes per side. Set aside.
  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.
  • Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta.
  • Meanwhile, warm the 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet.
  • Add the onion and saute until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the beef and pork, and brown the meat, breaking it into bite-sized pieces with a wooden spoon, about 5 minutes.
  • Add the Marsala and cook until the liquid has evaporated, about 3 minutes. Turn off the heat.
  • Add the peas and marinara sauce and stir to combine.
  • Add the cheeses, basil, and cooked pasta. Set aside.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Line the springform pan with the grilled eggplant.
  • Be sure that the slices overlap and hang over the edge of the pan.
  • Fill the pan with the pasta mixture, pressing down to make sure the pan is filling up evenly.
  • Fold the eggplant slices up over the top of the pasta and add a few more slices on top to completely enclose the timbale.
  • Bake the timbale until warmed through and the cheese has melted, about 30 minutes. Let rest on the counter for 10 minutes to set.
  • To serve, invert the timbale onto a serving plate and remove the springform pan.
  • Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese over the top.
  • Slice and serve.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 992.7, Fat 55.7, SaturatedFat 16.1, Cholesterol 77.6, Sodium 1316.6, Carbohydrate 85, Fiber 20.9, Sugar 17.7, Protein 29.8

Tips:

  • Use fresh, firm eggplants. Look for eggplants that are heavy for their size and have smooth, unblemished skin.
  • Slice the eggplants evenly. This will help them cook evenly.
  • Salt the eggplant slices and let them rest for 30 minutes. This will help to draw out the bitterness.
  • Rinse the eggplant slices and pat them dry. This will help to prevent them from sticking to the pan.
  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius).
  • Brush the eggplant slices with olive oil and season them with salt and pepper.
  • Bake the eggplant slices for 20-25 minutes, or until they are tender and browned.
  • While the eggplant is baking, cook the cavatelli according to the package directions.
  • Make the tomato sauce. Heat some olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened. Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened.
  • Assemble the eggplant timballo. Layer the eggplant slices, tomato sauce, and cavatelli in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Repeat the layers until all of the ingredients have been used.
  • Sprinkle the top of the eggplant timballo with Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs.
  • Bake the eggplant timballo for 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
  • Let the eggplant timballo cool for a few minutes before serving.

Conclusion:

Eggplant timballo with cavatelli is a delicious and satisfying dish that is perfect for a special occasion. The eggplant is tender and flavorful, the tomato sauce is rich and savory, and the cavatelli is cooked to perfection. This dish is sure to impress your guests.

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