Ingredients
- 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
- Special equipment: 9-inch springform pan
Directions
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.
Photo: Eggplant Timbale Recipe
















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By daneane71
Rochester, NY
on December 30, 2012
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A little tricky and lots of steps, but well worth it! A new holiday favorite. Delicious!
By g1bass
on December 25, 2012
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great recipe, in need of clarification. Do not use a springform pan, too small for the amount of pasta, do use a large pyrex bowl which gives the shape of a timbalo.(drum. Use a mandolin to cut the eggplant. Butter or oil the pyrex bowl and then coat with bread crumbs, line bowl with eggplant slices add pasta, cheese, ragu, pea mixture, cover mixture with more eggplant.slices cover all with a dish and some cans that will press the mixture down, chill in refrigerator for 45 min. Then bake at 375 for 90 minutes. Let sit 20 and then slice invert bowl onto serving platter.
By Christine&Dave
Western Mass
on October 10, 2012
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Wow. I made this for my fiance's birthday dinner last night and his brother joined us and devoured it! They were so impressed! I did have to take my time and it did take me longer to prepare but I think the next time will go much quicker. I also couldn't find smoked mozz but it wasnt' missed since it's our first time. I think I might add a little prosciutto next time. This is definately going into our favorites.
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