Campania
A domed, baked pasta monument of Neapolitan baroque cooking — a mould lined with pasta (ziti or rigatoni) surrounding a filling of slow-cooked pigeon ragù with peas, hard-boiled egg, mozzarella and Parmigiano, sealed and baked until a thick crust forms. Unmoulded at the table for theatrical effect. A preparation reserved for major celebrations that requires a full day of preparation.
Rich, meaty, deeply savoury from the pigeon ragù; mozzarella gives milky stretch; peas provide sweetness and colour; the baked pasta crust has extraordinary crunch — cooking as theatre and as love
{"The pigeon ragù must be cooked for minimum 90 minutes until the meat is very tender and falling from the bone, then meat pulled and returned to the sauce","Line the mould with lightly-cooked pasta (70% done) — it finishes cooking in the oven and provides the structural shell","Layer fillings inside the pasta shell: ragù, peas, diced hard-boiled egg, cubed mozzarella, Parmigiano","Seal the top with more lightly-cooked pasta and brush with egg yolk — this creates the golden domed top","Bake at 180°C for 45 minutes; rest 20 minutes before unmoulding — cutting too early causes the structure to collapse"}
{"Butter and breadcrumb the mould generously before lining with pasta — this is what creates the golden crust on unmoulding","Squab or young domestic pigeon are both acceptable; supermarket pigeon is inferior for this preparation","The timballo must be prepared the day before service and refrigerated — this sets the structure and makes unmoulding reliable"}
{"Fully-cooked pasta lining — it becomes mushy during the second baking; use only 70% cooked pasta for the shell","Too much mozzarella — it releases water during baking and makes the filling soggy","Unmoulding while hot — the structure needs 20 minutes to set; patience is essential"}
La Grande Cucina Napoletana — Ricette di Gala e Tradizione