Zucchini-Lined Pasta Timballs

I can guide you through preparing the zucchini pasta timballs. This dish combines flavors and textures deliciously, with the zucchini serving as a crispy lining and the pasta providing substance. Here’s how to make them:

Ingredients

• 300 g short pasta (rigatoni, penne or similar)
• 3-4 large zucchini
• 200 g buffalo mozzarella
• 50 g grated Parmesan
• 1 egg
• 400 ml tomato passata
• 1 garlic clove
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Fresh basil
• Salt and pepper to taste.

Preparation

1. Start by preheating the oven to 180 °C.
2. Cut the zucchini vertically into thin slices using a mandoline or sharp knife. Lightly salt them to release some water, then grill the slices in a non-stick pan with a drizzle of oil until lightly golden and tender.
3. Prepare the sauce by sautéing the garlic in a drizzle of oil and adding the tomato passata. Season with salt, pepper and torn basil leaves. Simmer for about 15 minutes over medium-low heat.
4. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in salted water and drain it al dente.
5. Once drained, mix the pasta with the prepared tomato sauce, mozzarella cut into cubes and grated Parmesan. Add the beaten egg to help bind everything.
6. Lightly oil individual baking molds (muffin tins or similar single-portion molds work well). Line the molds with zucchini slices, allowing them to overhang slightly.
7. Fill with the seasoned pasta and fold the overhanging zucchini ends inward to close the top of each timball.
8. Bake the timballs for about 20 minutes or until the zucchini is crispy and golden on top.
9. Let them cool a few minutes before unmolding and serve hot.

Trivia

The timballo is an ancient dish whose earliest traces date back to Roman times. The term refers to a cooking method in which ingredients are encased in an edible “shell” that holds their shape. In Italy timballo is highly prized and appears in many regional variations, from Abruzzese maccheroni timballo to Sicilian anelletti timballo.