Italian American families have an ideal workaround for this seasonal sameness predicament: a pan of lasagna.
This is a dish to bond and fawn over.
The beauty of timpano is that you dont have to give up your familys recipes.
Am I aware of how much that sounds like a casting call forThe Sopranos?
What is timpano?
The most important things in the world.
The big plan
Making a timpano takes time, but it doesnt have to be stressful.
My biggest piece of advice is to plan ahead.
Uncooked meatballs can be made, shaped, and stored in the refrigerator for up to a day.
But dont sweat it: They will fit.
This will make your jobsomuch easier, because the rest of what youll be doing is dicing and mixing.
(If youre doing this ahead of time, go ahead and cover and refrigerate.)
Take off those rings and watches and get in there with your hands.
Once everything is combined, add the moistened breadcrumbs and mix them in.
Roll the mixture into evenly portioned, 1- to 1-12 inch balls.
If youre ready to make your sauce, continue on to the next step by browning those meatballs.
Heat a cast iron skillet or nonstick pan until its piping hot, then add oil.
Brown your meatballs on all sides, rotating them often.
Youre most likely going to need to do this in three or four batches to avoid crowding the skillet.
To make the sauce, heat oil in a large pot over medium-low heat.
Throw in your minced garlic and cook until fragrant.
Lower the browned meatballs into your marinara and simmer for 1 hour.
Rinse your spinach and discard any tough stems.
Heat up the biggest skillet you own and add a giant glug of olive oil.
Toss in your minced garlic and red pepper flakes to taste.
Go ahead and add the spinach.
Feel free to add in batches, waiting until it begins to wilt to toss in more.
Cook over high heat, stirring until the spinach has completely wilted.
Stir in salt and pepper to taste, and add a pinch of ground nutmeg, and lemon zest.
Next, the most important step: Squeeze the excess moisture out of your beautifully wilted spinach.
Kneed for 10 minutes until the dough is smooth but not tacky.
Cover and allow it to rest for half an hour.
Dont be discouraged if this takes some time.
The dough might feel tough and spring back a bit, which is normal.
Preheat your oven to 350F and gather your squad.
Repeat this step to create another layer.
see to it youre filling as much space as possible.
Finish up with a final layer of pizza rustica filling.
Bake for 45 minutes, uncovered, until a beautifully brown crust forms.
Then bake, covered, for another half hour or until the internal temperature reaches 125 degrees.
