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Timballo di maccheroni with beer, ragù, and eggplants

17/11/2023

I can guide you in preparing a timballo di maccheroni with beer, ragù, and eggplants, a variant that combines the tradition of baked pasta with the original addition of beer and eggplants.

Ingredients

  • 500g of maccheroni
  • 700g of ground meat (beef or mixed beef and pork)
  • 400g of tomato pulp or passata
  • 2 medium eggplants
  • 1 small onion
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 stick of celery
  • 250ml of light beer
  • 150g of grated cheese (Parmesan or Pecorino)
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Oil for frying
  • Flour, for dusting the eggplants
  • Fresh basil (optional)
  • Mozzarella or smoked provola for stuffing (optional)

Preparation

  1. Begin with the preparation of the ragù: finely chop the onion, carrot, and celery and sauté them in a wide pan with a drizzle of oil. Add the ground meat and brown everything until the meat is well browned.

  2. Deglaze the meat with beer and let the alcohol evaporate. Add the tomato passata, salt, and pepper. Lower the flame and cook for at least 1 and a half hours on low heat, stirring occasionally.

  3. Meanwhile, cut the eggplants into slices about half a centimeter thick, sprinkle with salt and let them rest so they lose their bitterness. After about 30 minutes, rinse and dry them. Flour the eggplant slices and fry them in abundant oil until they become golden. Then place them on paper towels to remove excess oil.

  4. Cook the maccheroni in abundant salted water following the cooking times on the package but stop 2-3 minutes earlier to keep the pasta al dente. Drain and run under cold water to stop the cooking process.

  5. Preheat the oven to 180 °C.

  6. In a large bowl, mix the maccheroni with the ragù, a portion of the grated cheese, and if you wish, diced mozzarella or smoked provola and crumbled fresh basil.

  7. Grease a baking dish and line it with the slices of eggplant, allowing them to overhang slightly to then be folded over the filling.

  8. Pour the pasta and ragù mixture into the dish, covering it with the eggplant slices that overlap and sprinkle with the remaining grated cheese.

  9. Bake the timballo and cook it for about 30 minutes or until the surface is crispy and golden.

  10. Allow the timballo to rest for a few minutes before serving to allow it to set and make cutting easier.

Curiosity

The timballo di maccheroni is a dish from Italian cuisine with ancient and noble origins. There are many regional variants, some use short pasta instead of maccheroni and add a variety of ingredients such as cold cuts, other cheeses, or vegetables. The beer version with eggplants is a more modern invention that plays with the sweet-bitter flavors of eggplant and the toasted, malty note of beer.

Timballo di maccheroni with beer, ragù, and eggplants