Timpana

Ingredients

Pastry

• 500 gpuff pastry, or shortcrust
• 1egg, beaten

Pasta

• 500 gpenne or macaroni

Sauce

• 500 gminced beef
• 300 gminced pork
• 150 gchicken livers, chopped, optional
• 2onions, chopped
• 4 clovesgarlic
• 3 tbsptomato paste
• 700 gpassata
• 150 mlred wine
• 2bay leaves
• 1 tspmixed herbs
• salt and pepper

To bind

• 4eggs, beaten
• 150 ggrated parmesan or local cheese
• 150 gmozzarella or ricotta, optional

Optional

• 150 gbacon or pancetta
• 2hard-boiled eggs, sliced

To serve

• in thick slices
• with a green salad

Directions

1. Fry the onions until soft, add the garlic, then brown the minced meats hard. Brown the meat in batches with space around it, since crowded mince releases its water and boils grey.
2. Add the chicken livers if using and cook them briefly. Add the tomato paste and fry it for 3 or 4 minutes until it darkens. Add the wine and let it bubble away, then the passata, bay and herbs. Now simmer it uncovered for at least 45 minutes.
3. Cook it down until it is genuinely thick, far thicker than a sauce you would toss with pasta. A loose ragù floods the pastry and the base never crisps. Season it firmly and let it cool.
4. Cook the pasta in well-salted water for about two-thirds of the packet time. It absorbs sauce and continues to cook in the oven for over an hour, and fully cooked pasta ends up as mush. Drain it well and let the steam evaporate. Now combine, and there is one rule about the eggs. Mix the drained pasta with the cooled sauce and the grated cheese.
5. Let the mixture cool to lukewarm before the beaten eggs go in. Eggs stirred into a hot mixture scramble immediately, and they are there to set the whole filling into a sliceable block as it bakes.
6. Stir the beaten eggs through thoroughly. Add the mozzarella or ricotta in pieces if you are using it. Roll out two-thirds of the pastry and line a deep round or rectangular tin, leaving an overhang. Use a deep tin, since timpana is a substantial pie and a shallow one gives thin slices.
7. Brush the inside of the pastry case with a little beaten egg white and chill it while you finish. That egg wash seals the pastry and it is worth the minute it takes. Fill the case with the pasta mixture and press it down firmly. Press it down properly so there are no air pockets, which would collapse when it is cut.
8. Lay slices of hard-boiled egg through the middle if you like, which is a common Maltese touch. Roll out the remaining pastry for the lid. Lay it over, fold the overhang in, and seal the edges firmly all round.
9. Seal it properly, since steam under pressure will find any gap and burst the pie open. Brush the top with beaten egg. Bake at 190°C (375°F) for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. Cover it loosely with foil if the pastry browns before the middle is set. It is done when the pastry is deep golden and a skewer into the centre comes out hot.
10. Let it stand for at least 30 minutes before cutting. The egg needs that time to set firm. Cut too soon, the filling slumps out and the slices collapse, and this is the single commonest mistake. It is arguably better at room temperature than hot.
11. Cut it into thick square or wedge slices. Serve it with a green salad, and nothing else is needed. It keeps three days refrigerated and reheats well in a moderate oven.

Technique

• Chicken livers are traditional and are worth including.
• It is sold ready-made in Maltese bakeries and is a genuine convenience food there.
• The Sicilian timballo is the close relative.

Substitutions

• Shortcrust in place of puff, which is sturdier.
• Beef alone in place of a beef and pork mix.

Variations

• With hard-boiled eggs layered through.
• With bacon or pancetta in the sauce.
• Made without a lid, as an open bake.

History

Baked macaroni pie encased in pastry, sharing its name and idea with the Sicilian timballo; a Sunday dish of the islands.

Frequently asked questions

What is Timpana?

Timpana is a main from Malta: baked macaroni and meat pie encased in pastry. Baked macaroni pie encased in pastry, sharing its name and idea with the Sicilian timballo; a Sunday dish of the islands.

How long does Timpana take to make?

Timpana takes 1 hr of preparation and 1 hr 15 min of cooking. The recipe makes 10 servings. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Timpana?

Yes, within limits. Shortcrust in place of puff, which is sturdier. Beef alone in place of a beef and pork mix.

What is the most important thing to get right in Timpana?

Cook it down until it is genuinely thick, far thicker than a sauce you would toss with pasta. A loose ragù floods the pastry and the base never crisps. Season it firmly and let it cool.