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Eggplant Timbale

Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

This is a dramatic and delicious dish, based on the classic Italian timpano made famous in the movie Big Night. "Timbale" means "thimble," which usually describes something made in a mold that is higher than it is wide. I'm not really sure why this recipe is called a timbale, when it would make more sense to use the word "timpano," which means "drum." Fortunately, this dish will leave your guests at a loss for words anyway.

A classic timpano uses a dough shell, but this recipe substitutes much lighter and more interesting grilled eggplant slices. The standard ingredients are pasta, sauce, meat, hardboiled eggs, and cheese, but you can pretty much adjust those however you like. This recipe ditches the eggs, and adds peas for more color. To make the flavors more complex, the cheeses include smoked mozzarella.

I'm vegetarian, so I also replaced the meat in the original recipe with homemade vegan "meatballs." You can use a store-bought ground beef and/or sausage substitute, too.

It's important to use high-quality ingredients, including great pasta and sauce.

Buon appetito!

Makes one timbale, good for anywhere between 8 and 12 servings, depending on how hungry your guests are.

Equipment

• Electric, gas, or charcoal grill; stovetop griddle; or grill pan
  (anything that will make grill marks)
• very large skillet
• 9" springform pan
• baking sheet with edges

Ingredients

• 4 medium eggplants
• Olive oil spray, or olive oil for brushing eggplant slices (about 1/2 cup)
• Olive oil for sauteeing onions (about 2 Tbsp)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 lb ziti or penne pasta
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 lb ground meat or ground meat substitute
  (such as Gimme Lean beef and/or sausage or vegan Meatballs Italiano)
• 1/4 cup Marsala wine
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 2 cups marinara sauce
• 1 1/2 cups diced smoked mozzarella cheese (about 6 oz)
• 1 cup freshly grated parmesean cheese
• 1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Method

		(Click photos to enlarge)
1.	Bring a grill, griddle, or grill pan to medium-high heat. If you forgot to thaw the peas before, place the sealed bag in a bowl of hot water now.
2.	Slice the eggplant into 1/4"-thick slices, lengthwise from top to bottom. Don't cut the slices too thin, or they will break in the middle when you grill them. Leave the skin on the edges of the slices, but slice off the skin from the outside of the first and last slices (the smallest ones). In other words, the slices should be white on the broad sides and purple on the edges. You may not actually need all four eggplants, but it's better to have extra slices in case some break, or in case you realize later than you didn't have enough. You can always use extras for future sandwiches or pasta dishes.
3.	Brush or spray the eggplant slices with olive oil. The oil is important to prevent sticking to the grill and to help cook the eggplant, but the oil is quickly absorbed so use as little as possible while still covering the surface.
4.	Sprinkle the eggplant slices with salt and pepper. The salt will help draw out the bitterness of the eggplant while grilling.
5.	Grill the eggplant slices until they are tender and have nice, dark grill marks. Use a silicone spatula or pair of tongs if possible, and be careful not to tear the slices in the middle. It should only take a few minutes on each side. You can prep the next set of slices while the first set are grilling. Stack the grilled slices and set aside for later.
6.	Cook the pasta according to its directions, but erring slightly on the side of al dente (firm), since the pasta will bake in sauce. Drain the pasta and set aside.
7.	Preheat the oven to 350° F.
8.	Place a very large skillet over medium-high heat, and saute the onion for a few minutes in 2 tablespoons of olive oil, until tender.
9.	Add the meat or meat substitute. If the meat is raw, break into small pieces and brown for about five minutes. If using a meat substitute or cooked meatballs, just break into small pieces and stir for a minute or so to heat through.
10.	Add the marsala wine and cook for a few minutes until the liquid has evaporated, and then turn off the heat.
11.	Add the peas and marinara sauce, and stir to combine.
12.	Add the smoked mozzarella, 3/4 cup of the parmesean cheese, the basil, and the cooked pasta, and stir to combine. Set the skillet aside.
13.	Place the springform pan on the baking sheet, to catch drippings from the pan.
14.	Place several small slices of eggplant on the bottom of the springform pan, so that they just overlap and cover the entire bottom of the pan.
15.	Place additional slices to line the sides of the pan, with the narrower end into the pan, and the wider end hanging over the edge of the pan. Be sure that the slices slightly overlap.
16.	Fill the pan with the mixture from the skillet. Press the filling down as you go, so that it stays densely packed. This will help the finished timbale stay together and slice nicely.
17.	When the pan is full and packed down, fold the wide ends of the eggplant slices over the top, and place a few small slicers in the center to cover any gaps.
18.	Place the springform-pan-on-top-of-baking-sheet in the oven, and bake for 30 minutes.
19.	Remove the pans from the oven, and set aside to rest for 10 minutes. This is very important to ensure that the timbale will present and slice well.
20.	To serve, place your serving plate upside-down on top of the springform pan. Press the plate against the pan and flip over only the springform pan and plate (not the baking sheet), so that the closed bottom of the springform pan is now on top. Release and remove the springform pan.
21.	Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of parmesean cheese over the top of the timbale.
22.	For the best presentation, bring the timbale to the table uncut, and slice a piece for each guest. If you constructed your timbale well, it should retain its shape. Use a bread knife or a very sharp chef's knife for best results, and a pie server to move the pieces. If you do plate the slices before serving, place them on a little bit of extra sauce for additional effect.