We host a Christmas Eve dinner for family, a few friends, and neighbors. Every year, we have a theme or pick a country to “celebrate” during the dinner. Our theme dictates our menu, decorations, and the occasional costume. Last year, we celebrated Italy and the menu for the night was so fun and delicious.
Our inspiration for the night and the special “featured dish” is called Timpano, a dish almost certainly named after the shape of an inverted kettle drum, that resembles the shape of this dish when serving. It is a complicated Italian dish that was made famous in the cult classic film starring Stanley Tucci entitled “Big Night.” In preparation for the party, we rented the movie and watched the detailed preparation for this labor intensive, traditional Italian dish. Our results on Christmas Eve were quite impressive and the dish tasted delicious.
Timpano
The New York Times explained Timpano like this: “It is an excavation to eat this, and one to be undertaken slowly, carefully, so as to catch every prism of flavor.” To say that Timpano is a “project recipe” would be an understatement. The Timpano is a layered dish that includes an outer shell of a sheet of pasta and a series of interior layers that include meatballs, meats, cheeses, hardboiled eggs and more pasta and sauce. There are a lot of different sections and it requires some planning. Most steps can be made ahead of time with the dish being assembled and baked when preparing to serve.
I think the highlight of the recipe is Stanley Tucci’s sauce ragu which I altered just a little to make it a little user-friendly. Also, the recipes for each of the three big layers of the Timpano can be used separately. The sauce ragu can be used in place of any red sauce in many Italian recipes. The meatballs are great on their own – not just buried inside the Timpano.
A Timpano makes a great presentation when revealing the dish. You must carefully turn it out, upside down, and slice for the presentation of the various layers of flavor.
Remember that you can make the individual parts of the dish ahead of time and simply assemble and bake it the day of.
Step 1: Homemade Pasta
2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon olive oil
Put all ingredients in the bowl of food processor and pulse until it comes together in a ball. Knead a few times until smooth and wrap tightly in plastic and store in the refrigerator until ready to roll the pasta sheets.
Step 2: Italian Meatballs
1 pound ground pork
1 pound ground beef
1 teaspoon fennel seed
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 cup breadcrumbs
Combine all meatball ingredients and roll into about 65 meatballs using about one tablespoon of meat for each. Cook meatballs in a large nonstick frying pan, turning occasionally. You can also roast meatballs on a rimmed baking sheet in a 375° oven for about 15 to 20 minutes.
Set aside to cool and store in the refrigerator until ready to assemble.
Step 3: Tucci’s Ragu or Red Sauce
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds boneless pork spareribs, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 onions, chopped
1 cup red wine
1/2 cup tomato paste
5 regular cans San Marzano tomatoes, pureed in the blender
6 garlic cloves, smashed
3 cups warm water or beef stock
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3 fresh basil leaves
In a large stock pot, add the olive oil. Season the pork and the beef with salt and pepper and carefully brown individual pieces in the olive oil, removing as necessary to keep the oil hot and do not overcrowd. You do not want to steam the meat, but brown it carefully.
When all the meat is browned, remove to a platter. Add the onions and the garlic to the pot and stir well, scraping up any brown bits at the bottom of the pan. Add wine, tomato paste, tomato purée and broth or stock. Be sure to stir well and scrap the bottom of the pan.
Return meat (and any juices) to the pan, add herbs, and simmer on very low until the meat can easily be shredded apart, or for one to two hours. Shred meat and season to taste. Allow sauce to cool. Store in the refrigerator until ready to assemble.
Assembling the Timpano
When ready to assemble and cook, you will need a few additional ingredients:
1/2 pound penne, cooked al dente, drained, and reserved
6 hard-boiled eggs, cut into quarters
1 pound mozzarella or provolone cheese or any combination of those cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2-pound thin sliced salami
When ready to assemble and bake the timpano, preheat the oven to 350° and spray a large stock pot or oven safe bowl with nonstick spray.
Roll out pasta into very thin sheets, using a machine or rolling pin and plenty of additional flour to keep it from sticking.
Carefully take very long strips of pasta dough and lay them gently in the bowl overlapping pieces to cover the entire bottom, leaving very long edges to overhang. You will use the edges to fold back over and completely encase the Timpano.
In a separate bowl, toss the penne pasta with a little bit of the Ragu sauce. Spoon about half of the penne into the bottom of the pasta covered bowl for the first layer. Top with about a half a cup of sauce, 12 pieces of the egg, half of the meatballs and a third of the cheese. Repeat this process using additional 1 1/2 cups of the sauce. Add the remaining eggs, meatballs, and cheese. Top with the rest of the penne and sauce. The final layer is salami, carefully lay out the slices to cover the entire top of the dish. Carefully fold over the reserve pasta pieces to cover the filling. Brush with olive oil and tightly cover with aluminum foil.
Place the Timpano in the preheated 350° oven and bake for at least 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake an additional 45 minutes. Check to see if the dish is done by poking a small hole at the top. If steam comes out and the cheese is melted, then it is done. If not, bake for an additional 15 minutes.
To serve and 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 the Timpano. Be careful and hold tightly. Remove pan and allow Timpano to cool for 15 minutes before slicing. Using a long, sharp knife, slice Timpano as you would a pie into individual portions, revealing the layers of ingredients.
Three-Meat
Bolognese Sauce
We did not want the Timpano to be the only offering for the evening so this Bolognese served as an excellent addition.
1 pound ground chuck
1 pound high quality Italian sausage
1 pound thick cut bacon, diced or pancetta if available
1 cup celery, finely chopped
2 cups onion, chopped
1/2 cup carrots, finely chopped or shredded
1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning or 2 tablespoons fresh mixed Italian herbs such as thyme, rosemary, and oregano
2 tablespoons fresh parsley
2 28-ounce cans San Marzano tomatoes
8 ounce can tomato paste
6 to 8 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
1 cup fresh chopped basil
6 bay leaves
1 cup red wine
1/2 cup milk
In a large pan, sauté the ground chuck, Italian sausage, bacon. Drain if necessary. Add celery, onions, and carrots. Cook over medium to high heat for about 20 minutes stirring occasionally. Stir in Italian herbs and parsley. Cook for about a minute. Stir in tomatoes and tomato paste. Add garlic, wine, milk, and bay leaves. Simmer on low, covered, for two to three hours until mixture reduces and turns a darker shade of red. Stir in fresh chopped basil, salt, and pepper to taste. Remove bay leaves.
You can make the Bolognese sauce several days ahead and store in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator. You can also freeze.
Creamy Parmesan Polenta
The thought of serving cheese grits (i.e., Polenta) with red sauce or meatballs is not something I would have ever envisioned, but I always trust Ina Garten and her suggestions. In one of her cookbooks, she recommended serving creamy parmesan polenta with roasted meatballs. I made extra meatballs from the recipe above and served it for dinner. It was incredibly delicious and super easy. You can prep the polenta ahead of time, as well.
I consider polenta and grits to be basically identical. I used good quality course stone-ground grits, instead of buying polenta. Feel free to use either, but polenta or grits can be a great alternative to pasta with spaghetti and meatballs, a ragu, or three meat Bolognese.
6 cups chicken stock
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups stone ground course cornmeal or grits
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cup, freshly grated Parmesan cheese
6 tablespoons sour cream or whipping cream
3 tablespoons butter
Combine chicken stock and garlic in a large sauce pan and bring to boil. Reduce the heat to simmer and very slowly stir in the cornmeal or grits, whisking constantly to make sure there are no lumps.
Switch to a regular spoon and add the salt and pepper to taste (or about one and a half tablespoons of kosher salt and two teaspoons fresh crack pepper, per Garten’s suggestions.)
Simmer over very low heat for five to 10 minutes stirring constantly or until thick. Cooking time will depend on the type of corn that you choose. Some grits will take longer to cook than others, but do not use instant grits for this recipe. Also, be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan thoroughly while stirring.
Once grits are done, remove from the heat, and stir in the Parmesan cheese, sour cream, and butter. Stir until well incorporated and adjust seasonings and serve hot.
Hardy Vegetarian Marinara Sauce
We always like to have a few vegetarian options at dinner and this sauce is versatile and delicious.
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 cup diced onions
1 cup carrots, shredded
6 to 8 cloves of fresh garlic, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
6 ounce can tomato paste
2 28 ounce cans whole peeled tomatoes, San Marzano if you can find them
2 cups vegetable stock
3 bay leaves
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves, washed
1 large eggplant, peeled and cut into 1 inch dice
6-8 small zucchini, washed and cut into small rounds or half-rounds
*You can add any other vegetables that you prefer such as green beans, bell peppers, kale, cabbage, etc.
Heat oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, and garlic. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring often. Add the herbs, spices, and tomato paste. Cook for about five minutes more, stirring frequently. Add the canned tomatoes, that you have crushed in the can reserving their juices, the stock, and the bay leaves. Simmer on low heat for about one hour, stirring often. Add in fresh vegetables and cook for about 15 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Stir in balsamic vinegar. Remove bay leaves and serve hot.
Pesto Italian Subs
This sub sandwich was inspired by the colors of the Italian Flag, The Italian hoagie bun and the provolone cheese serves as the white, the pesto and baby arugula are green, and roasted red bell peppers and “rare roast beef,” are the red. The end result was a delicious and colorful tribute to Italy. The subs were delicious and were the first things gone from the buffet.
6 Small Italian hoagie buns
1 cup pesto
1 bag baby arugula
1-2 pounds deli roast beef, sliced thin
1 jar roasted red bell peppers or 2-3 red bell peppers, roasted and sliced
6 slices sliced provolone cheese
Slice buns open and spread one side with pesto and arrange provolone cheese on the other side of the bun. Toast slightly if desired. Add roast beef, red bell peppers and arugula. Press bread together and slice in half to serve. Enjoy.
Artichoke Lasagna
There is no question that although this is considered a vegetarian option, it was the most decadent and richest item on our menu. It is absolutely delicious and can be made ahead and heated when ready to serve. The flavors just get better.
5 cans medium artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 stick butter
1 package lasagna noodles, cooked, drained, and set aside
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3 recipes béchamel sauce (recipe for sauce to follow)
Grease a large lasagna pan with butter or nonstick spray. Place a layer of pasta noodles in the bottom of the pan. In a large mixing bowl, combine two of the recipes of the bechamel and the chopped artichokes. Spread an even layer of this mixture over the pasta.
Dot with butter and sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers until artichoke mix is completely used. Top with a layer of pasta, and then the reserved recipe of the plain Bechamel sauce. Dot with butter and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese
Bake at 350 for about 30 to 45 minutes or until light golden crust is formed. Let lasagna rest for 10 minutes before cutting.
Bechamel Sauce
Remember that you will need to triple this recipe for the recipe above. Reserve 1/3 to put on the top lasagna.
4 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1 cup cream
3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
Salt, and pepper to taste
Freshly grated nutmeg
Melt butter in a sauce pan over low heat. Add flour and mix until light golden brown. Slowly begin adding milk and cream, stirring constantly until sauce becomes thick. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste and stir in the Parmesan cheese.
Remove to a glass bowl and cover with butter wax paper until needed.
Eggplant Parmesan Meatballs
This is a tasty meat-fee option with loads of flavor and provides an excellent change of pace versus ordinary meatballs.
1 1/2 pounds, eggplant, peeled and cut into one by 1-inch cubes. (this is about 2 medium sized eggplants)
6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup +2 tablespoons seasoned breadcrumbs
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese or mixed Italian shredded cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1 whole egg, plus one egg yolk
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 24-ounce jar store-bought marinara sauce or 4 cups homemade
1/2 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
Preheat oven to 375°. Place eggplant in a large baking dish and toss with 3 tablespoons olive oil and salt. Bake for 30 minutes. Turning halfway through cooking. Transfer eggplant to the refrigerator to chill for about 30 minutes.
Place cold eggplant in a food processor and pulse about 10 to 12 times or until eggplant is finely chopped. Transfer the eggplant to a large bowl and add in breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, parsley, eggs, garlic, black pepper, red pepper, and onion powder. Use your hands to mix all the ingredients together until well combined. Chili for about 20 minutes.
Form meatballs that are about 2 tablespoons each. In a large skillet, heat remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil, and once the oil is hot, add the meatballs and cook 6 to 7 minutes carefully turning to cook on all sides until they were brown. Repeat with a second batch of eggplant meatballs.
Spray a 9 x 13” baking dish with non-stick spray and spread with marinara sauce. Carefully spread the eggplant meatballs around the pan. Scatter small dollops of ricotta cheese throughout the dish and bake at 375° for 15 minutes until the marinara is bubbly.
Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Tuscan Baked Chicken Thighs
This was a last-minute addition, and I think it might have been one of the favorites from the meal. The more I cook with chicken thighs, the more I realize that you cannot go wrong with them. They are always tasty and basically impossible to overcook. Thighs are great to serve at a party because they will not dry out when held for serving for several hours.
12 bone-in chicken thighs
4 lemons
A variety of dried Italian herbs, such as parsley, basil, rosemary, thyme, and oregano
Garlic salt/freshly cracked pepper
Slice the lemon into thin slices and layer the bottom of a large casserole dish with lemon slices. Arrange the chicken thighs on top of the lemon slices. If you have some fresh rosemary, this would be a great addition to put a few branches on top of the lemons.
Sprinkle the chicken thighs with garlic salt, pepper, and Italian herbs.
Bake at 450° oven for about 20 minutes or until the chicken thighs are no longer pink. Allow to rest about 10 minutes before serving.
Italian Chopped Pasta Salad
I love all the flavors that come together to make this a delicious and hardy salad. Please feel free to omit any ingredients that you do not like.
Dressing:
1/2 cup olive oil
2 to 3 heaping tablespoons mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Mix all ingredients for the dressing and store overnight in the refrigerator.
To assemble pasta salad, combine:
1/4 pound each: chopped deli ham, salami, pepperoni, provolone cheese, and mozzarella cheese
1 small red onion, diced
1 large tomato, chopped
1 small can sliced black olives, drained
1 jar of marinated artichoke hearts, drained
1 cup mild sliced salad peppers, drained
1 bag tri-colored bowtie pasta or cheese tortellini, cooked al dente and cooled
2-3 heads romaine lettuce, washed, dried, and chopped
Combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl and toss with dressing. Add more olive oil if mixture is too thick.
Tiramisu
My baker extraordinaire daughter, Anna Kat, took charge of dessert and decided to jack up a traditional tiramisu recipe with homemade ladyfingers. Not only were they fun and easy to make, but they really did make the dessert extra special.
Not sure if anyone will go to the trouble, but it was a fun afternoon project when you have a little bit of extra time. We made the ladyfingers a few days before and we did not want them to get too stale before we were ready to use them. I think you could probably toast them lightly in the oven if you wanted to make them several days ahead.
Homemade Ladyfingers
6 large eggs, separated
1 cup regular sugar, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups of purpose flour
10 teaspoons cornstarch
Powdered sugar for dusting
Preheat oven to 350° and line 2 large baking sheets with nonstick parchment paper. Place a large round piping tip in a large piping bag and set aside.
In the bowl of a large stand mixer, place the egg yolks, 1/2 cup of the sugar, vanilla, and the salt. Beat on medium speed until pale and fluffy.
Place the egg whites in a separate bowl and using clean beaters, beat on high until soft peaks form. While beating, add in the remaining half cup sugar, a spoonful at a time and beat until egg whites or thick and glossy or about two minutes more.
Carefully fold in the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture in small batches until all is well combined.
Combine the flour and the cornstarch, and carefully fold into the egg mixture until no dry streaks remain. Do not overmix the batter. It may be lumpy.
Transfer the batter to the prepared piping bag. Pipe the batter into 4-inch-long strips about 1 inch wide on the baking sheets. Space them about an inch apart. Dust generously with powdered sugar. Continue with the rest of the Ladyfinger mixture until all has been piped out of the piping bag. Bake the dusted sheets for 12 to 15 minutes until lightly golden and slightly firmed the touch.
Let the ladyfingers cool on the baking sheets and carefully remove to a cooling rack and dust with more powdered sugar if necessary.
Repeat process until all ladyfingers are cooked. They will soften a little as they are exposed to the air. Store in an airtight container until ready to assemble the tiramisu.
To make the tiramisu
1 1/2 cups espresso or very strong coffee, at room temperature
3/4 cup Kahlúa
16 ounces mascarpone cheese
6 large egg yolks
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
40 ladyfingers, store-bought or homemade
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
Stir together coffee and 1/2 cup Kahlúa in a medium mixing bowl and set aside.
A large bowl, combine mascarpone cheese and remaining 1/4 cup of Kahlúa. Wisk together or beat with a hand mixer into well combined. Set aside.
In a double broiler, combine the egg yolks and the sugar on top and whisk until well combined. Bring the water in the broiler to a simmer and carefully stir the egg mixture over the water, making sure the water does not touch the bowl. Whisk constantly until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is light, yellow in color and thickened a bit or about 5 to 10 minutes.
Add the egg yolk mixture into the mascarpone cheese mixture and whisk until combined. Place in the refrigerator to cool for 15 minutes.
In a large mixing bowl, combine cream and vanilla. Beat on high speed until stiff peaks form or 3 to 5 minutes.
Fold the whipped cream mixture into the cooled mascarpone mixture. Store in the refrigerator until ready to assemble.
For the assembly, working one at a time, dip the bottom of the ladyfinger briefly in the coffee mixture and allow to soak up just a little bit of the mixture. You may need a slotted spoon and be careful so that the ladyfingers do not break apart.
Arrange enough ladyfingers in a single layer of a 9 x 13“ dish to cover the bottom and not leave any gaps.
Spoon half of the mascarpone mixture on top of the ladyfingers and smooth out the edges with a spatula. Make another layer of the ladyfingers that have been dipped in the coffee and Kahlúa mixture arranging them in a single layer on top of the filling. Add the remaining mascarpone cheese mixture and smooth out to an even layer.
Dust the top with the cocoa powder and chill overnight. This needs time to set up.
Our ladyfingers were quite delicate, so we ended up having to put the ladyfingers in the dish and use a pastry brush to brush on the coffee Kahlúa mixture.
Cannoli
8 cannoli shells, homemade or store bought will work
2 cups ricotta cheese
1 cup confectioners' sugar, plus extra for dusting
¾ cup mini chocolate chips, divided
¾ cup finely chopped, roasted shelled pistachios
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Beat ricotta cheese and powdered sugar until well combined. Using a piping bag or small spoon, fill shells with mixture. Dip ends in your choice of chocolate chips or nuts. Dust with powdered sugar and serve immediately.
Semi Homemade Biscotti
For our Italian themed gift baskets, we decided to include some instant, Italian cappuccino and a few biscotti for Christmas morning.
These are quick and easy to make. We decided to make one batch of Italian almond biscotti, and another one of sweet, orange and cranberry. Both were delicious and even decorated a few with dark chocolate and white chocolate. Feel free to make whatever variations your family prefers. The basic recipe is always the same and you can add whatever flavors you desire.
1 box yellow cake mix
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4 large eggs
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup sliced almonds
If using the orange, cranberry simply omit the almonds and add in a half a cup of dried cranberries, and a teaspoon of finely grated orange zest.
Preheat oven to 350°. In a large mixing bowl or the stand of your mixer, pour in the cake mix. Add in flour and stir to combine. Add eggs, butter, and vanilla extract. Mix well, and then stir in the almonds.
Mix on medium speed for about one minute until the dough does not stick to the sides of the mixing bowl anymore. It may look and feel a little bit like Play-Doh. Feel free to add additional flour if necessary.
Carefully remove the dough and divide dough into half. Roll each half into a log of about 1 inch in diameter and pat down until it is a rectangular shape log about 3 inches wide and 1 inch high.
Place on a parchment lined baking sheet, repeat the process the other half of dough.
Bake for about 20 -30 minutes until the cakes are set in the middle. Remove baking sheet in the oven and allow to stand for at least 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 325° for the second bake.
Gently slide one cookie log onto a board and using a serrated knife or electric carving knife, slice each log across the width into 3/4-inch slices. Lay cookie, cut side down, back on the baking sheet and return them to the oven for another 10 minutes or until cookies are slightly crisp.
Remove cookies to cooling rack to cool completely.
Campo dei fiori mix
This is a dry Italian seasoning mix very similar to one we purchased on a trip to Italy. Whenever we have traveled, I have found local spices to be very reasonably priced. They make a very light option to bring home for souvenirs. This is our copycat version of the mix we found in a market in the Campo de Fiori area of Rome.
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon chives
1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 tablespoon garlic powder
Mix ingredients in store in an airtight container.
Cocktails for the evening featured a were a mixture of Italian wines and a refreshing mixture of Prosecco with a splash of limoncello. It was delicious!
