Recipe from "The Tucci Cookbook"
Adapted by Frank Bruni
- Total Time
- 3 hours, plus resting
- Rating
- 4(480)
- Notes
- Read community notes
This is a project recipe, to be sure. But the result? An impressive, delectable mountain of perfectly cooked pasta, tender meatballs, egg and salami, swathed in a rich ragu and folded all together in a lissome dough. It is an excavation to eat this, and one to be undertaken slowly, carefully, so as to catch every prism of flavor. The vivid compliments given to this in the film “Big Night” are unrepeatable here, but we are sure you’ll find some choice adjectives of your own. (The New York Times) —Frank Bruni
Featured in: Hollywood Ending, With Meatballs
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Ingredients
Yield:16 servings
- 4cups all-purpose flour, more for dusting
- 4large eggs
- 1teaspoon kosher salt
- 3tablespoons olive oil, more for greasing pan
- Butter
- 4cups ¼-inch by ½-inch Genoa salami pieces, cut ¼-inch thick
- 4cups sharp provolone cheese chunks, about ¼ by ½ inch
- 12hard-cooked eggs, shelled and quartered lengthwise, each quarter cut in half
- 4cups small meatballs
- 7½cups Tucci ragù sauce, meat removed and reserved for another use
- 3pounds ziti, cooked very al dente (about half the time recommended on the package) and drained
- 2tablespoons olive oil
- 1cup finely grated pecorino Romano
- 6large eggs, beaten
For the Dough
For the Filling
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (16 servings)
1149 calories; 57 grams fat; 23 grams saturated fat; 1 gram trans fat; 24 grams monounsaturated fat; 6 grams polyunsaturated fat; 89 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 66 grams protein; 1520 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Prepare the dough: Place flour, eggs, salt and olive oil in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. (A large-capacity food processor may also be used.) Add 3 tablespoons water and process. Add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until mixture comes together and forms a ball. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead to make sure it is well mixed, about 10 minutes. Set aside to rest for 5 minutes. (The dough may be made in advance and refrigerated overnight; return to room temperature before rolling out.)
Step
2
Flatten dough on a lightly floured work surface. Dust top with flour and roll it out, dusting with flour and flipping the dough over from time to time, until it is about 1/16-inch thick and is the desired diameter. (To calculate the diameter for the dough round, add the diameter of the bottom of a heavy 6-quart baking pan, the diameter of the top of the pan and twice the height of the pan.) Grease the baking pan generously with butter and olive oil. Fold dough in half and then in half again, to form a triangle, and place in pan. Open dough and arrange it in the pan, gently pressing it against the bottom and the sides, draping extra dough over the sides. Set aside.
Step
3
Prepare the filling: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Have salami, provolone, hard-cooked eggs, meatballs and ragù sauce at room temperature. Stir ½ cup water into sauce to thin it. Toss pasta with olive oil and allow to cool slightly before tossing with 2 cups sauce. Distribute 4 generous cups of pasta on bottom of timpano. Top with 1 cup salami, 1 cup provolone, 3 eggs, 1 cup meatballs and ⅓ cup Romano cheese. Pour 2 cups sauce over ingredients. Repeat process to create additional layers until filling comes within 1 inch of the top of the pan, ending with 2 cups sauce. Pour beaten eggs over the filling. Fold pasta dough over filling to seal completely. Trim away and discard any double layers of dough. Make sure timpano is tightly sealed. If you notice any small openings cut a piece of trimmed dough to fit over opening. Use a small amount of water to moisten these scraps of dough to ensure that a tight seal has been made.
Step
4
Bake until lightly browned, about 1 hour. Cover with aluminum foil and continue baking until the timpano is cooked through and the dough is golden brown (and reaches an internal temperature of 120 degrees), about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 30 or more minutes to allow timpano to cool and contract before attempting to remove from pan. The baked timpano should not adhere to the pan. To test, gently shake pan to the left and then to the right. It should slightly spin in the pan. If any part is still attached, carefully detach with a knife.
Step
5
To remove timpano from pan, place a baking sheet or thin cutting board that covers the entire diameter on the pan on top of the timpano. Grasp the baking sheet or cutting board and the rim of the pan firmly and invert timpano. Remove pan and allow timpano to cool for 30 minutes. Using a long, sharp knife, cut a circle about 3 inches in diameter in the center of the timpano, making sure to cut all the way through to the bottom. Then slice timpano as you would a pie into individual portions, leaving the center circle as a support for the remaining pieces. The cut pieces should hold together, revealing built-up layers of great stuff.
Tip
- You may assemble the timpano in the pan it will be baked in and freeze it. It will take three days to fully defrost in the refrigerator before it can be baked as directed.
Ratings
4
out of 5
480
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Cooking Notes
Terry Neal
I made Timpano and it turned out great. I did have left over ziti...3 lbs. is too much. And I didn't thin the sauce as I was afraid it would be soggy. Regardless, it was spectacular and an occasion was made turning it out. We watched the Big Night clip beforehand. I'll be glad to send a picture.
Christina
Ive made this twice-- a lot of people have noted that the dough is tough to work with, which can be true. Great tip: cover the dough with parchment paper and use a wine bottle as your rolling pin. Mike sure the wine is completely chilled!!! Your hands will warm up the bottle as you go. If you are worried have two or three bottles on hand to use. This will save you a lot of frustration.
Sbuster
Made twice now, so good! My 6 qt pan only fit 3 layers (recipe allows for 4), 2 lbs ziti would've sufficed. Double meatballs and sauce--single is skimpy and leftovers freeze great. Did not knead dough 10 min, just a few to combine and it's fine. Dough does take a while to roll out--if too springy just let it sit for 10 min (covered w/ damp cloths) and come back to it. Advise covering the overhanging dough w/damp cloths while assembling--dough edges tend to dry out. Totally worth the effort!
Maureen
My Husband, Son, & Daughter-in-law , and I made this large family Christmas Dinner. We had fun assembling the Timpano. And a much better time eating it! It is a crowd pleaser - Well worth the effort! I recommend letting it cool longer than 30 minutes BEFORE slicing or your 'layers' will slide. It was much better after 1 hour.
Amy
I’ve wanted to make this for years, and finally took the plunge for Christmas Eve dinner. It was a fun project, and everyone enjoyed the reveal and eating the finished product. Unless you’ve got helpers, I strongly recommend making the sauce and meatballs, and cutting up the salami and cheese, a day or two ahead of time. A lot of elbow grease is needed to roll the dough to the correct size. It’s worth all the effort, but be aware it takes a long time to get everything ready for final assembly.
Alicia
It's a crowd-pleaser! Could easily have fed at least 20 ppl, maybe even 30. The dough was super stiff and took almost an hour of kneading for gluten to properly develop--my husband's pretty stiff in the hands, shoulders and arms today. But, it's sturdy and held up great with all the filling. We were stressing about rolling out to the right diameter (36 in by our original calculations), but 30 in in our 6 qt bowl was totally fine--we just didn't fill to the rim with filling.
Houston
Make more dough. Had a brilliant experience making this. Outcome was super. We made Tucci ragu, but by-passed the meatballs, and subbed Italian sweet sausage (cooked and chunked before assembly). In addition to reducing quantity of ziti by 1/3, only big change we'd suggest is to over-make the dough, and simply discard the excess. We had too little dough for our big pot -- despite rolling out very thin -- so ended up making an additional/separate bottom piece and crimping it in. Worked well.
Kerry
Plan for an hour longer prep than the recipe calls for because the dough is so hard to work with. It took four of us taking turns rolling nearly an hour to get it to the right size and thickness. That said, well worth it! More delicious than I expected and definitely a dramatic reveal.
Grace
I cut the recipe in half and it turned out just fine! It was actually easier, as I don't have a dish large enough for the full version. Reduce the cooking times a bit (go by colour rather than time). On paper, it should serve 8, but it was enough for 10 or 12 people. As several people have noted, use less pasta.
Lisa
I made the Big Night timpano years ago. It was a lot of work, but also a lot of fun, and it was a BIG HIT when I served it...on New Year's Eve.
Jennifer
Fun to make and definitely an impressive reveal. Best made for a big crowd. We halved the recipe and still made a huge amount. It does not reheat that well.
Chef Butterfly
Mama Mia! This is an amazing recipe and journey! Similar to other notes: we had leftover ziti (3 lbs was too much), I did not thin the sauce for fear of making it runny, let it sit 1 hour before slicing. My family made it for Christmas dinner and it was so much fun. The sauce and meatball recipe are very good and I would make again for other recipes.
Ombret
I made this today for Christmas after reading Stanley Tucci’s memoir. It was an exciting project and a fun reveal, but the dish doesn’t have amplitude - it’s precisely equal to the sum of its parts. It wasn’t any more delicious than the cheesy rigatoni bake that I make for my kids on weeknights, plus a salami sandwich, plus a hard-boiled egg, and it took a lot longer. The crust is actually rather leathery, which makes sense since it’s basically dehydrated fresh egg pasta.
Mae Not
Cook to 165, not 120.
amanda
What pan do you use?
Andria
Stanley says to remove the meat from the sauce and have it at another meal. Not sure what to do with it though! Any suggestions?
Remi
The Italian pasta bake is called "timballo" (timbale), I believe. The "Timballo alla siciliana" is a variation and is coated with aubergine slices. Big Night's Timballo di Maccheroni is a 90s classic!
Fabiano.
This recipe is from Abruzzo, central Italy. Different styles exist between the different cities, but the most famous and known to be the original one is the Timballo from Teramo. Frekt!
BoysMom
My son (28 y/o) made this for Christmas dinner and it was definitely a very special treat. Don't leave any ingredient/layer out, everything plays a role. The presentation is terrific and the leftovers are heavenly.
Kiki In The Kitchen
Please someone help me understand what you bake this in and what size
Victoria LC
Hi Kiki...In Step 2, the recipe mentions using a "heavy 6-quart baking pan" to gauge the size of the rolled-out dough. Haven't yet made this heavenly masterpiece, but when i do, I'll use a 6 quart round porcelain-lined cast iron Dutch oven... like those made by Le Creuset, Staub, and many other cookware manufacturers. Browse the web for examples.. they're now readily available.
Houston
Make more dough. Had a brilliant experience making this. Outcome was super. We made Tucci ragu, but by-passed the meatballs, and subbed Italian sweet sausage (cooked and chunked before assembly). In addition to reducing quantity of ziti by 1/3, only big change we'd suggest is to over-make the dough, and simply discard the excess. We had too little dough for our big pot -- despite rolling out very thin -- so ended up making an additional/separate bottom piece and crimping it in. Worked well.
trexgirl
After many years of wanting to do this, I made a Tucci Timpano! it definitely was a Big Night. I also used just 2# of penne and still had some leftover in a 7.3 Qt casserole. The dough was challenging, but with a rest it did better, I pulled some pizza dough style stretching moves in it and it really helped. I would say that the dough is very forgiving and doesn't tear at all. I would probably plate each piece with some sauce on the bottom a la Babish. Also, MORE CHEESE!!
Lschatz
This was delicious. Turned out so much better than I imagined when reading the recipe(s). I would make again for special occasion/large group.-Needed more meatballs (delectable - light & fluffy) -Be liberal with the ragu sauce = especially 1st layer of pasta-Use a good provolone-8qt (not 6) bowl required (and you will still have leftover ingredients)
kernerman
Really only need 1# of penne pasta. Maybe split into two smaller timpani and freeze one
Toni DeSanto
Has anyone made a smaller version with success. We won’t be having a crowd for Christmas dinner this year but I want to try this. It would be a fun event!
Grace
I cut the recipe in half and it turned out just fine! It was actually easier, as I don't have a dish large enough for the full version. Reduce the cooking times a bit (go by colour rather than time). On paper, it should serve 8, but it was enough for 10 or 12 people. As several people have noted, use less pasta.
Celeste
I made three of these for my wedding and another for a get together of band parents... pre CoVid. I use my own pie dough recipe and it turns out great every time.
Tsung
Made this last year. Used meatballs and soft boiled eggs from Costco to save time. Came out fantastic anyways. Was still great 5 days later.
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