Timpano

Timpano
(Drum.  Literally eardrum…we prefer “drum”!)

There are timpano pans out there…somewhere…but I couldn’t find any at the time that I needed one.  I decided instead to use an old fashion enamel washbasin that works very well.  Believe it or not, I had to go shopping in an antique store to find one!  Have fun with this recipe and keep in mind that it is a time consuming process but well worth it.

Several days before prepare the following:

2 cups of small meatballs
8 cups of spaghetti sauce of your choice.  I use my Grandmother’s recipe.
12 hard boiled eggs, shelled and quartered and cut into chunks.
3 pounds ziti, cooked al dente (about half the time listed on the box).
2 cups Genoa salami, cubed
2 cups Provolone cheese, cubed
2 tbls. olive oil
2/3 cup finely grated pecorino Romano cheese
4 large eggs, beaten
NOTE:  Have these ingredients at room temperature when ready to build the timpano.

Dough:

 4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. kosher salt
4 large eggs   
3 tbls. olive oil
½ cup water

Add the flour, eggs, salt and olive oil in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook.  Add 3 tablespoons of water and mix.  Add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture comes together and forms a ball.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead to make sure it is well mixed.  Set aside for 5 minutes to rest.

Sprinkle work surface with flour and flatten dough.  Sprinkle some flour on top of the dough and roll to the diameter you need while dusting it with flour and turning the dough over every so often.  It should be 1/16 inch thick and large enough to drape over the sides of your pan with enough dough to cover the top.  Measure the diameter of the bottom of the pan, add the diameter of the top of the pan and add twice the height of the pan.  This should give you the exact measurement you will need.
 

Generously, don’t skimp on this part, coat the timpano pan with butter and olive oil.  Fold the dough in half and then in half again to form a triangle. 

OPTIONAL:  I usually decide on a design made from the extra dough that I’ll want to put on the bottom of the timpano….which ultimately becomes the top.  I usually do a circle of dough with either an initial or a design that suits the occasion in the center of the dough circle.  Put your dough designs in the bottom of the pan in reverse image BEFORE putting in the triangle of dough.  It would break your heart if you turned your finished Timpano out on the serving plate only to find that your initials were backwards.  Double check your work first.

Gently place the point of the triangle in center of the pan.  Open the dough and gently work it into the pan in the bottom and up the sides, draping the extra dough over the sides.  Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350.

Lay out all of the prepared ingredients just like an assembly line. 

Toss the drained pasta with the olive oil and two cups of sauce. 

Spread 6 full cups of pasta over the bottom of the timpano.  Top the pasta with 1 cup of salami, 1 cup of the provolone, 6 of the hard boiled eggs, 1 cup of meatballs and 1/3 cup of the Romano cheese. 
 

NOTE:  If you’re going for “looks” when the timpano is cut, then carefully arrange the ziti and other ingredients to the way you’d like it to look. For instance, the ziti can be arranged to stand on end, etc.  It’s time consuming and looks gorgeous, but in the end, your guests won’t care because they will be scrambling to get another slice!

Repeat above for next layer; pour 2 cups of sauce over first layer of ingredients. 

Next layer 6 cups of the remaining pasta, remaining salami, provolone, hard boiled eggs, meatballs and 1/3 cup Romano cheese.  Top with remaining 6 cups of pasta.  Spoon the remaining 2 cups of sauce over the pasta.  Pour the beaten eggs over the filling.  Fold the pasta dough over the filling to seal completely.  Trim away any double layers of dough..

Bake until lightly browned, about 1 hour.  Then cover with aluminum foil and continue baking until the timpano is cooked through and the dough is a golden brown (and reaches an internal temperature of 120 degrees F), about 30 minutes.

Remove from oven and let sit 30 minutes.  Remove from pan and allow to rest for 30 or more minutes.  Don’t worry, this dish retains its heat for an amazing length of time.

The baked timpano should not stick to the pan.  If any part is still attached, carefully run a knife gently under the dough being very careful not to puncture. 

Place the serving platter that the timpano will be sitting on over the pan and firmly grasping turn the pan over.  The timpano should slide right out.  Remove the pan and let the timpano rest for 20 more minutes.

Using a long sharp knife, cut a circle about 3” in diameter in the center of the timpano, making sure to cut all the way through to the bottom.  Then slice the timpano as you would a pie into individual portions, leaving the center circle as a support for the remaining pieces.

If you don’t like this dish…just talk to my goombas, Sammy Orlando and Sal Gambino!  They can help make up your mind.  No, I’m not kidding.  That is their real names!  Don’t mess with us Sicilians!