Meat and vegetable pie with pasta and custard filling
Timballo del gattopardo
Serves 6–8
Prep 13/4 hrs, plus cooling time
For the filling
3/4 oz (20 g) dried porcini mushrooms
2/3 cup (100 g) peas
coarse sea salt
23/4 oz (80 g) rigatoni pasta
41/4 oz (120 g) cooked turkey ham, finely chopped
1 medium egg
4 tbsp (25 g) fresh breadcrumbs
11/2 handfuls of flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
1/3 cup (30 g) pecorino cheese, finely grated
sea salt and black pepper
extra-virgin olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
7 oz (200 g) mixed ground meat
1/4 cup (50 ml) Marsala wine
4 quail eggs, hard-boiled and shells removed
1 black truffle
For the shortcrust pastry
23/4 cups (350 g) fine “00” grade durum wheat semolina flour, or all-purpose flour
pinch of salt
12 tbsp (175 g) chilled unsalted butter, chopped
1 medium egg
1/2 cup (80 g) superfine sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
For the custard
2 cups (500 ml) whole milk
5 tbsp (40 g) cornstarch
2 medium egg yolks, plus 1 egg
seeds from 1 vanilla pod
1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Soak the porcini in hot water for 30 minutes, then squeeze out the liquid.
To make the pastry, combine the flour and salt and rub in the butter. Beat the egg with the sugar and cinnamon and work everything together until smooth. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
For the custard, mix ½ cup (100 ml) of the milk with the cornstarch, egg yolks, and egg. Use a balloon whisk to mix the vanilla seeds, sugar, and cinnamon into the remaining milk, then heat this in a saucepan. Remove from the stove and pour into the egg mixture in a thin stream, beating constantly. Return to the pan and place over medium heat, stirring, until it thickens. Place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the custard and leave to cool (but don’t chill).
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Set aside one-third of the pastry. Roll out the remainder on a floured work surface to ¼ in (5mm) thick. Use this to line the base and sides of a 8 in (20 cm) springform cake pan (3½in/9 cm deep). Cover the pan with parchment paper, fill it with baking beans, and bake for 12 minutes. Remove the beans and paper and set the pastry shell aside.
Blanch the peas in boiling, salted water for about 5 minutes, submerge them in ice water, then drain. Cook the pasta in boiling, salted water until al dente, then drain. Mix the turkey ham, egg, breadcrumbs, 1⁄2 handful of the parsley, and the pecorino until you have a firm mixture that can be molded. Season. Shape into walnut-sized balls, toss in flour, and sauté in plenty of olive oil for 3 minutes.
Heat some olive oil in another pan and sauté the shallot. Add the ground meat and continue frying. Deglaze the pan with Marsala and continue simmering for 1–2 minutes. Stir in the peas and porcini and simmer for another 1–2 minutes. Season to taste and remove from heat.
Set the oven to 375°F (190°C).
To make the layers: spread half the custard over the pastry base. Scatter over the pasta and cover everything with the ground meat sauce. Arrange the meatballs and quail eggs on top and grate over the truffle. Season with a touch of pepper. Cover everything with the remaining custard. Roll out a ¼-in (5-mm) thick lid from the remaining pastry and, if you like, create decorations from any leftovers.
Bake in the center of the oven for 30–35 minutes, then reduce the temperature to the oven’s lowest setting and continue to bake for another 5 minutes until done.
Meat and vegetable pie with pasta and custard filling