timpano baked pasta dome
by Chef Peter Birks
@ 24 Nov 2017
timpano baked pasta dome
By Chef Peter Birks
240g flour
¼ tsp salt
3 eggs, lightly beaten
4 tbsp olive oil
450g dried penne, cooked
1ltr pomodoro tomato sauce
6 hard-boiled eggs, quartered
450g mozzarella, cut into 1-inch cubes
225g Genoa salami, thinly sliced
Meatballs
30ml olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp red pepper, crushed
3 white sandwich bread slices, torn into pieces
80ml milk
900g sweet ground pork
125g parmesan cheese, grated
12g flat parsley, chopped
2 tbsp fennel seed
1 egg
Salt, to taste
For the meatballs: In a hot pan with olive oil, sauté finely chopped onion till caramelised. Add minced garlic cloves and crushed red pepper, and cook till fragrant. Remove from heat. In a large bowl, mix torn white bread with milk, and add in sautéed onion mix. Add in sweet ground pork, grated parmesan cheese, chopped flat parsley, fennel seed, egg, and season with salt. Mix well and form into ½-inch round meat balls. Pan-sear in a hot pan and transfer to a preheated oven at 240°C for 10 minutes.
Mix flour and salt in a large bowl. Stir in eggs and oil, till dough comes together in a ball. Knead until smooth. Wrap with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature for one hour. In a mixing bowl, toss cooked penne pasta with 500 ml of pomodoro tomato sauce. Remove pasta from plastic wrap and roll out to a 25-inch circle. Grease a stainless steel pot and drape rolled-out pasta over, moulding it to the contour of the pot. Allow the excess to hang over the edge.
Layer bottom of pot with 1 cup of penne pasta, and top with ½ cup of the pomodoro tomato sauce, 12 pieces of egg, half of the meatballs, and 1/3 of the mozzarella. Repeat with 3 cups of penne, 1½ cups of tomato sauce, remaining egg pieces, meatballs, and mozzarella. Top with remaining penne and tomato sauce. Finish with salami. Fold the excess pasta over the filling and brush with oil. Cover with aluminium foil.
Transfer to a preheated oven at 175°C for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 45 minutes. To check for doneness, make a small hole at the top with a sharp knife. If steam comes out and the cheese is melted, it is done. If not, bake for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes. To serve, turn upside down onto a large platter. Serves 8
