This dome of pasta, cheese, and vegetables encased in pastry is a labor of love, but is a glorious centerpiece for any meal. Feel free to swap in your favorite roasted or grilled vegetables in this recipe, or add cooked chicken or pork if you prefer.
Frequently asked questions
What is a timpano?
A timpano is an Italian dish of pasta, tomato sauce, roasted vegetables (and sometimes meat), hard-boiled eggs, and cheese shaped into a dome, covered with dough and baked. It was made famous in America in the Stanley Tucci movie Big Night, and is a dramatic centerpiece dish for any meal.
Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen
A few details make this recipe work especially well. We salted the eggplant to extract the liquid and make it less spongy. This step reduces any little air pockets in the eggplant, making it firmer so it absorbs less oil. The result is eggplant that is perfectly tender after it is cooked, and cuts well when it’s added to the rest of the dish.
It’s important to undercook the pasta before layering it in the timpano; check the recipe for our notes on how long to cook it. The pasta filling becomes very flavorful and moist from the liquid the eggplant and spinach release, as well as from the sauce. The recipe makes about six cups of tomato sauce. You’ll toss about one and a half cups of sauce with the pasta, and then drizzle one cup over each layer, for a total of three layers total.
You layer all the ingredients into the dough, which is similar to a fresh pasta dough. Then, break through the crispy exterior to reveal the tender pasta and vegetables, not to mention the cheese inside. It’s dramatic and delicious.
