You say Timballo, I say Timpano

The LA Times featured a timballo (timpano), which made it into the American culinary lexicon via the movie The Big Night. The recipes given were pretty simple compared to other recipes. One website contrasted the timballo with the timpano, noting the main difference is the outer layer of pastry crust on the timpano. This could be like cassoulet, with endless pedantic debate on the origins, ingredients, and construction of a true timpano or timballo. And like a cassoulet, the recipes seemed involved and time consuming.


Whatever the case for true origins and ingredients may be, the recipe that Regina Schrambling presents for Rice Timballo with Prosciutto and Peas is simply delicious and wonderful eating, full of flavors and contrasting crunchy and creamy. With its Emilia-Romagna heritage of parma ham and percorino romano, how could it go wrong?





As for simplicity, the dish is really just a bunch of simple recipes and techniques strung together: risotto and pecorino is pressed into a spring-form pan’s bottom and sides, and filled with a gussied up béchamel, which is covered with more rice mixture like a bombe.

Then it is dotted with cheese and butter and baked like a casserole. A few additional minutes at higher heat for further browning only adds to the visual appeal.

This would be a great potluck dish when you want to blow away the competition, I mean other guests’ dishes.