Timballo Siciliano
Tidbits...Primo sale meaning First Salt is a semi soft fresh sheep cheese. It crumbles and melts well and is mild in flavor. If you can't find primo sale you could use mozzarella instead. The ground meat is optional and is lighter without the meat and is very delicious just the same.
Ingredients
- Pasta (penne or anelli) - 350 g
- Ground veal pork mixture - 1 llb (Meat is optional)
- Eggs - 2 slightly beaten
- Frozen peas - 100g
- Chunky tomato sauce - 400 g
- Parmesan - 1/2 cup
- Breadcrumbs - 1/2 cup
- Basil - 1 T chopped
- Onion - 1 small chopped
- Primo sale or fresh mozzarella - 200 g
- Salt and pepper - to taste
- Basil leaves - for garnish
Instructions
- In a large skillet lightly brown onion in 1 Tbl. olive oil. add ground meat if you want) add peas, tomato sauce and let simmer for at least 20 minutes on medium.add a ladle of pasta water, as needed to keep it soupy, not dry.
- Remove from heat and add chopped basil. When cooled stir in beaten egg and parmesan cheese.
- Cook pasta in an abundant amount of salted water until al dente, it should be very firm to the bite. Drain and add to meat mixture.
- Lightly oil and sprinkle breadcrumbs over ovenproof brioche or springform pan. Put a layer of pasta then crumbled primo sale cheese then another layer of pasta followed by cheese finishing with a layer of pasta. Press firmly into dish with large spoon so it is well packed.
- Bake in 375˚ oven for 30 minutes. Let rest at least 10 minutes then carefully loosen and turn out onto serving plate.
