Eggplant Timballo With Cavatelli
Serves: 3
Santiago Howell
1 January 1970
Based on User reviews:
55
Spice
44
Sweetness
36
Sourness
46
mins
Prep time (avg)
5.7
Difficulty
Ingredients:
3 tbsps
Olive Oil1
Salt1.5 cups
Onion (finely chopped)1 cup
Carrot (finely chopped)1 cup
Celery (finely chopped)3 large
Garlic Cloves (minced)1 tbsp
Dried Basil (crumbled)1
Bay Leaf3 tbsps
Tomato PasteDirections:
1
Special equipment: 6 (5-by 2-inch) ceramic souffle dishes Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2
Place the eggplant slices on top of a sheet tray lined with parchment or waxed paper
3
Drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper
4
Bake in oven until it turns golden brown, about 20 minutes
5
Remove from oven and let it cool
6
Oil the bottoms and sides of 6 souffle dishes and layer 4 to 5 pieces of eggplant in a circular pattern into each souffle dish, letting excess drape out over the edge
7
Heat up the tomato sauce in a large saucepan
8
Then turn off flame
9
Reserve some tomato sauce for plating in a smaller pot
10
In a large pot with boiling salted water, cook the cavatelli pasta for 3 to 4 minutes, and drain
11
In the pot with the sauce, add the partially cooked cavatelli, mozzarella, and pecorino to the tomato sauce and cook over medium heat just to blend well
12
When hot, stir in the basil chiffonade
13
Spoon the pasta-sauce mixture into the souffle dishes and fold over the top with excess eggplant
14
Bake in oven for 4 to 5 minutes
15
To serve, spoon the remaining tomato sauce onto individual plates
16
Turn a finished timballo upside down onto a large spatula to remove it from the souffle dish, then carefully slide it onto the plates
17
Sprinkle with pecorino and garnish with a basil leaf
18
In a heavy 5-quart saucepan cook onion, carrot, celery, garlic, basil, bay leaf, and salt and pepper, to taste, in oil over moderate heat, stirring, until vegetables are softened
19
Stir in tomato paste and tomatoes with reserved juice
20
Simmer sauce, covered, over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, 35 minutes and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 15 to 20 minutes, or until thickened
21
Discard bay leaf
22
Sauce may be made 2 days in advance and kept covered and chilled