Eggplant and Pasta Timballo

Looking for a way to use up some of that late summer eggplant in a show-stopping presentation? This eggplant timballo fits the bill, and it’s much easier to make that you’d think. Imagine the surprise on your guests’ faces when you slice into this, unveiling the pasta interior. Some of my blogger friends – Rowena and Marie – have also posted similar recipes and I always find inspiration from them.
Eggplant Timballo
(for a one-quart souffle dish or similar vessel)
This will serve at least six people easily.
printable recipe here
1 large eggplant, sliced about 1/4 inch thick
1/2 pound anelli pasta, or other pasta to your taste
1 pound sausage
1/2 cup peas, cooked
4 ounces mozzarella cheese, cubed
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups to 2 cups tomato sauce
Smear the eggplant slices with oil and grill until cooked through. Oil a one-quart souffle dish or similar vessel and arrange the cooked eggplant slices inside, leaving enough hanging over the side to fold over the pasta when the dish is full.
Remove the casing from the sausage, break into bits and cook in a pan. Boil water and cook the pasta until it’s al dente. Drain the pasta and place into a bowl with the cooked sausage, and the rest of the ingredients, using as much tomato sauce as necessary to coat well. Reserve some of the sauce for later. Fill the dish with the pasta, then fold the eggplant slices over, covering the top of the pasta completely. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes. Remove and let it rest for at least 15 minutes. Invert onto a serving platter, sprinkle with some parmesan cheese, and serve with the extra sauce.
Comments are closed.
Henry's favorite spaghetti-o's stuffed in my favorite eggplant!!!!! Yum!
That looks so amazingly good! Great photos!
What a beautiful dish! It looks splendid and ever so scrumptious.
Cheers,
Rosa
Wow-it's a stunner and looks so delicious!
Eggplant is one of my favorite dish and this combination with extremely very delicious. thanks for sharing this recipe.
oh, I was really suprised when I discovered the second picture. I did not expect a rain of saucy pasta!! Well done, it looks delicious.
Awesome recipe! It looks good on the photos!
I was also surprised by all that pasta – clowns in a car – it seems to keep on coming. I have a few Japanese eggplants left. Hmmmm. It's possible.
That is a thing of beauty Linda, and your photos make me want to dive in and scoop up those little O's!
This is a thing of beauty!!!
che splendida ricetta tradizionale italiana, complimenti Linda!
Looks fabulous! And I bet it'd be a great way to get kids to eat their veggies…
Fantastico il tuo timballo di melanzane, bellissima ed invitante la presentazione. Buona giornata Daniela.
Timballos are so fun…until they fall apart which seems to always happen to me. Yours looks wonderful
Linda, I made one of these a couple of years ago and it was a big hit. Yours looks fab!
What a delightful dish! It is a stunner. A pinned stunner.
I love the pasta you used in your timballo, Linda! I can never eat enough eggplant –love it!
Bravissima! What a gorgeous timballo, and I bet it tasted great. Nice job, Linda!
This timballo sure does impress me Linda, as you said in your post! I love how the pasta just pours out of it when opened. In response to your question that you left on my blog: I'm going to Bologna, Venice, Modena/Montecreto where my family lives, Florence, Rome, and the Amalfi Coast. We will be gone for two weeks and I am beside myself with excitement! I'm sure you understand having spent so much time over there yourself! You lucky woman!
Thank you for the mention Linda! I only saw this post now. Yours turned out wonderfully delicious! This is one of my favorite Italian pasta dishes.