(Without pastry covering)
Serves 6
1/2 aubergine (eggplant)
1 or 2 small onions
1lb minced meat (mix of pork and beef if possible)
1 sml tin tomato paste (6oz)
1 1/2 lbs uncut macaroni (or Rigatoni 27)
3 eggs
1/4 lb Romano cheese
3/4 lb ricotta
1 box pepperidge farm frozen puff pastry sheets
Peel aubergine and cut up into small pieces. Soak in water diluted with a little vinegar. Fry chopped onions in a saucepan together with aubergine. When these are cooked (onions will be tramsparent), add minced meat and brown for a couple of minutes. Dissolve the tomato paste in 1 cup of hot water (or stock) and add to the contents of the pan. Add salt and pepper to taste. Let simmer for at least 20 minutes.
Boil the macaroni in plenty of salted water until barely tender. Pour one cup of cold water into the pan as soon as the macaroni is done. It is vital that the macaroni remain pretty stiff so that it will retain its shape. Beat the eggs seperately and grate cheese for use when required.
Prepare a deep casserole (28x18x4cm Pyrex dish) by greasing (margarine or lard) it - line the bottom and sides with puff pastry.
Next, mix the meat sauce with the ricotta. Place the first layer of macaroni on the bottom of the casserole, followed by a layer of the meat sauce. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Repeat the procedure, finishing with a layer of meat and ricotta filling. Add the well beated eggs, spreading all over the casserole, and allowing the beaten eggs to seep through the layers. Sprinkle grated cheese on top and cover with a layer of puff pastry. Press the edges to seal the dish. With a fork, pierce the dough. If desired brush the top with a beaten egg.
Preheat the oven to 350-375F. Bake for about one hour. If covered in pastry it should turn a golden-brown. If not covered in pastry you might want to cover the casserole with foil for the first half hour so that the top does not get too crisp.
Timpana slices better if it is allowed to stand for about half an hour after being taken out of the oven. The ideal slice has neat see-through circles of macaroni on both sides. This can be achieved by fearlessly undercooking the macaroni.
Serve the Timpana hot or cold in large pieces with grated cheese.