🌾 500 g all-purpose flour (00 flour)
🧈 200 g cold butter
🥚 2 whole eggs
🧂 Salt to taste
💧 50 ml cold water
🥩 300 g ground beef
🐖 200 g ground pork
🥓 50 g pancetta (bacon)
🥕 1 carrot
🧅 1 onion
🌿 1 celery stalk
🍅 400 g tomato purée
🍷 1 glass red wine
🥛 100 ml milk
🧂 Salt and pepper
🍆 2 large eggplants
🧀 200 g grated caciocavallo cheese
🧀 200 g mozzarella
🥚 3 boiled eggs
🥚 2 eggs for brushing
🫛 100 g peas
🍝 500 g macaroni or ziti
🌻 Vegetable oil for frying
The Sicilian Timballo di Maccheroni is not just a recipe but a gastronomic architecture. Picture a golden pastry shell that hides layers of al dente macaroni, rich ragù, fried meatballs, golden eggplant slices, boiled eggs, peas, and melting cheese. Every slice is a cascade of colors, aromas, and textures.
Preparing timballo requires time, skill, and many kitchen tools: frying pans, saucepans, molds, rolling pins, wooden spoons, and more. It is a culinary challenge, but one that rewards you with a dish capable of leaving your guests speechless when you cut into it and the filling flows out in a symphony of flavors.
Large saucepan – for slow ragù cooking.
Non-stick frying pan – for frying eggplant.
Large pot – for pasta.
Rolling pin – for pastry.
Springform pan (26 cm) – to shape the timballo.
Colander & paper towels – to drain fried eggplant.
Whisk – to mix pastry.
Wooden spoon & ladle – for stirring ragù and layering.
Make a well with the flour, then add cold cubed butter, eggs, and a pinch of salt. Quickly knead until you get a firm dough. Add cold water only if necessary. Wrap in plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge for 1 hour.
In a saucepan, gently sauté finely chopped onion, celery, and carrot together with the pancetta. Add the ground meats, brown thoroughly, then deglaze with red wine. Stir in the tomato purée and a glass of water, then let it simmer gently for 2 hours. At the end, add the milk to soften the acidity and enrich the flavor.
Slice the eggplants into long, thin slices. Let them sit in salted water to remove bitterness, then pat dry thoroughly. Fry them in hot vegetable oil until golden brown. Drain on paper towels to remove excess oil.
Boil the macaroni in plenty of salted water for half the usual cooking time. Drain and immediately toss with some of the ragù and half of the grated caciocavallo cheese. This will infuse the pasta with flavor while keeping it firm for layering.
Roll out the shortcrust pastry to about 3 mm thickness. Line a greased springform pan with the pastry, leaving some overhang. Start layering: place fried eggplants at the bottom, then alternate layers of pasta, ragù, cubed mozzarella, peas, slices of boiled eggs, and grated caciocavallo. Continue layering until all ingredients are used. Fold the overhanging pastry to seal the top and pinch well to close.
Brush the surface with a beaten egg for a golden finish. Bake in a preheated 180 °C (356 °F) oven for 45–50 minutes, until golden and crisp. Let it cool for at least 30 minutes before removing from the pan, to allow the layers to set and flavors to meld beautifully.
Wine pairing: a full-bodied Nero d’Avola or Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG complements the rich flavors.
Side dish: a fresh fennel and orange salad balances the richness.
Dessert: classic Sicilian cassata or cannoli for a sweet ending.
For extra flavor, you can add diced salami or cooked ham between layers.
Storage 🥡
The timballo can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days, covered.
It can also be frozen in slices for up to 1 month and reheated in the oven without losing texture or flavor.
Timballo’s roots date back to the 14th century, introduced to Sicily with the Aragonese and French influences. But it was in the 18th century, thanks to the French-trained Sicilian chefs known as Monsù, that timballo became a symbol of aristocratic cuisine.
The name “timballo” comes from the French timbale (drum), due to its cylindrical shape. The dish was immortalized by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa in his masterpiece The Leopard (1958), where it represented luxury and Sicilian tradition.
Image of Sicilian timballo di maccheroni created with Hostinger AI Image Generator
Foto di Jacek Dylag su Unsplash
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