Timballo Pasta Pie with Meat Sauce and Eggplant…

Eggplant Timballo with Meatsauce is our version of the traditional Timballo – a Sicilian recipe that includes a starch (like rice, pasta, or potatoes), meat, vegetables, cheese, and sauce baked in a deep-dish pie. Ours consists of layers of pasta, fresh mozzarella, peas, eggplant, a blend of herbs and spices, plus a delicious meat sauce full of ground beef and Italian sausage – baked in our buttery homemade 4-inch tall pie pastry crust. It is INCREDIBLY DELICIOUS!

I’m a bit embarrassed to admit this but this was my very first time eating eggplant. And I must say, I’m sad I had waited so long to try it! Initially, I wasn’t excited about Corey adding eggplant to anything let alone this dish … but I reminded myself that I am a grown-up so it wouldn’t hurt me to try it, right? Well, I’m not sure if it’s the way Corey cooked it prior to adding it as a layer to this dish but it was an amazing combination! I loved it!

So all this to say that if you’ve never tried eggplant, I hope you’ll give it a try … but know that you can always pull it out of your serving or omit it from the recipe altogether.

How to choose the best eggplant …

• Select an eggplant that is firm to touch but not too hard and not too soft.
• All one color. If the eggplant is green or shows bits of green, then it is not ripe yet.
• The flesh of the eggplant should be fresh, shiny, and free of any damage or bruises.

What ingredients do you need to make Timballo Pasta Pie with Meat sauce and Eggplant?

There are a bazillion variations to Timballo (also known as a pasticcio, timpano, or timbale). This is so great because you can totally customize it to your particular taste! You can make an Eggplant Timballo and keep it a vegetarian recipe … or fancy it up to add ground veal, pecorino romano cheese, Parmigiano Reggiano, or other various cheeses, or you can switch up your pasta to a penne pasta or anelletti pasta. Mix up the veggies or cut them up so tiny that picky eaters won’t even know.

While the entire timballo may look like a dish for a special occasion, its versatility allows you to use it for meal planning too as the leftovers are amazing!

Here is what we used for this delicious sky-high savory pie:

• Ditalini pasta, 8 ounces cooked al dente and pasta water drained
• Pie pastry, 2 9-inch pie crusts for the top and bottom (try our Favorite Homemade Pie Crust or use store-bought)
• Ground beef, 1 pound
• Mild Italian sausage, 1 pound
• Eggplant, 1 large eggplant sliced thick
• Extra virgin olive oil, enough to cover the bottom of your pan (or vegetable oil)
• Kosher salt, to taste (or sea salt)
• Black pepper, to taste
• Shallots, 2 large shallots – diced
• Fresh garlic, 4 garlic cloves – minced
• Beef broth, 1/2 cup broth
• Crushed tomatoes, 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes (you can combine tomato sauce and tomato paste if that’s what you have)
• Bay leaves, 3 whole bay leaves – fresh or dried
• Basil leaves, 5 whole fresh basil leaves
• Italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• Frozen peas, 1 cup peas
• Three cheese blend (parmesan, romano, and asiago), 5-ounces
• Italian seasoned panko bread crumbs, 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• Fresh mozzarella, 1 16-ounce pre-sliced log

Ingredients needed for the topping:

• Egg wash (1 large egg mixed with 1 tablespoon of water)
• Paprika, 1 tablespoon

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How do you make this delicious timballo pie?

The presentation of our Eggplant Timballo with Meat Sauce is stunning but the real show stopper is when you cut into this beauty and see the layers of delicious homemade meat sauce, the pasta mixture, the layer of eggplant, and melted cheese surrounded in a golden-brown crust sprinkled with paprika!

Let’s get started …

Move the oven rack to the lowest setting and preheat your oven to 375° F.

Grease a large and deep spring-form pan with butter all over the sides of the pan and over the edge of the pan.

Cook the pasta al dente (cooked yet firm) according to package instructions; drain and set to the side.

Add a little olive oil to a large Dutch oven to cover the bottom of the pan and heat over medium heat. Use tongs to gently add the thick slices of eggplant, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook for about 5 minutes or until the eggplant has browned. Flip each slice over and repeat.

Once both sides have browned, transfer the eggplant to a large baking sheet in a single layer with paper towels to dry. Use another paper towel to gently pat the tops dry as well.

Wipe out the excess oil from the Dutch oven.

The most delicious meat sauce …

Add 2 tablespoons of fresh olive oil to the same large Dutch oven and heat over medium-high heat. Add shallots and cook until softened. Add the ground beef and Italian sausage and brown the meat mixture over medium-high heat. Stir in minced garlic and cook until fragrant.

Drain all the fat from the meat so you don’t have a soggy bottom pie (no one wants a soggy bottom!).

Return the beef and sausage mixture to the stove, stir in the beef broth, and bring it to a boil. Reduce the temperature to medium heat and add the crushed tomatoes and bay leaves. Combine well and simmer this delicious meat sauce for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. This time allows the natural flavors to combine prior to adding any seasonings.

Remove and discard the bay leaves. Add 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, 2 teaspoons of black pepper, and 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning to the meat sauce and combine well. Heat for 5 minutes and taste test to see if you prefer additional seasonings.

Time for the cooked pasta and frozen peas …

Stir in cooked pasta and frozen peas and then reduce your heat to a simmer.

Press one pie crust into the bottom and sides of the prepared springform pan. Allow the excess dough to hang over the sides.

If you’d like to use the most delicious pie pastry ever, try Coogan’s Favorite Pie Crust here!

Layer the pie in this order:

Meat sauce, ¼ cup cheese blend, 1 tablespoon panko bread crumbs, a layer of grilled eggplant slices (it’s ok if the slices overlap), basil leaves, meat sauce, ¼ cup cheese blend, 1 tablespoon panko bread crumbs, a layer of mozzarella, meat sauce, additional cheese blend, and top with the second pie crust by tucking the top crust into the sides of the bottom crust.

Allow the excess pastry to hang over the sides.

Cut the edges off the remaining dough, crimp the edges, and with a sharp knife cut steam vents in the top of the timballo pie. The top of your pasta pie will look like a little dome.

Brush the top of the pie and crimped edges with a good coating of egg wash. Sprinkle paprika over the wet egg wash.

Bake this beauty at 375° F for 45 minutes on the lowest rack.

Allow the pie to cool on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Then use a knife to slowly and delicately separate the top crust from the metal sides of the spring-form pan before carefully (very carefully) releasing it from the pan. Then cool for an additional 10 minutes prior to serving.

Enjoy!

What kitchen tools do you need to make a delicious timballo?

• Colander
• Baking sheet
• Large and deep spring-form pan (we used a 9-in spring-form pan for this recipe)
• Large Dutch oven
• Wire cooling rack

Can you freeze timballo and how do you store leftovers?

If you intend to freeze the timballo instead of eating it right away, prepare it as instructed in our recipe card but do not bake it in the oven. Once you’ve assembled the layers and sealed with the top pastry dough, keep it in the springform pan, wrap with several layers of plastic wrap, and then another two layers of aluminum foil. Write the date on the top of the foil with a sharpie marker. It will need to defrost in the refrigerator for 3 full days prior to cooking in the oven per the directions.

For leftovers after dinner, simply cut the pie into personal-sized slices and wrap in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. You can also store it in an air-tight container or plastic bag. Reheat in the microwave. Eat within 3 days.

Looking for more tasty and easy recipes? Try a few here:

• Italian Chicken and Acorn Squash Couscous
• Chicken & Pork Crostina Pasta
• Creamy Beef and Potatoes
• Wild Rice Chicken Casserole – (Easy Recipe)
• Meat and Potato Timballo Pie

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