Supplies

Timpano

  • 12 large pasta/lasagne sheets, cooked until just al dente and pliable
  • 1 large jar tomato sauce
  • 300g rigatoni (dried weight), cooked until just al dente
  • 450g ricotta
  • 100g spinach, wilted and finely chopped
  • 50g parmesan, finely grated
  • 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
  • 1 raw egg
  • 1 tsp dried chilli flakes
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 150g mixed wild mushrooms, rehydrated
  • 50ml olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 2 springs thyme
  • 5 hard boiled eggs
  • 400g cooking mozzarella, sliced
  • Egg wash

Bechamel

  • 40g butter
  • 20g plain flour
  • 350ml whole milk
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Steps

Timpano

  1. Rehydrate the dried mushrooms, then sauté with the olive oil, garlic, thyme and oregano until most of the moisture has evaporated.
  2. Put the ricotta, cooked spinach, raw egg, salt and dried chilli into a mixing bowl and beat with a wooden spoon until smooth. Taste for seasoning before putting the filling into a piping bag fitted with a medium (6 or 7mm) nozzle.

Bechamel

  1. Make a roux with the butter and flour, then gradually add the milk and cook for 5 minutes - stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Season, then cover with cling film while it cools.
  2. Cook the rigatoni and pasta sheets until just al dente then drain and cool. Toss the pasta in a small amount of olive oil to stop it sticking to itself.
  3. Carefully fill the rigatoni with the ricotta mixture and put to one side.
  4. Heavily oil a deep 6 or 7” springform tin.
  5. Layer the cooked pasta sheets around the edges of the tin, overlapping at the sides, and with enough length to cover the top.
  6. Brush the inside and bottom of the case with egg wash.
  7. Spread a few spoonfuls of béchamel around the bottom of the case, then create the following layers, taking care not to overfill the case and run out of space: stuffed rigatoni, tomato sauce, layer of mozzarella, half of the sautéed mushrooms, béchamel, boiled eggs, tomato sauce, stuffed rigatoni, béchamel, the remaining mushrooms, tomato sauce.
  8. Fold the overhanging pasta sheets over the top of the case to seal it, and brush with egg wash. Bake for 1 hour.
  9. Remove from the oven and put it, still in its tin, on a cooling rack. Gently run a spatula or knife inside the tin to ensure it’s not stuck. Cool for 15 minutes then pop the spring form open. Allow to stand for another 10 minutes before cutting it open.