Hearty Pasta Pie Recipe From ‘Eat in My Kitchen’

Every week, we’re spotlighting a different food blogger who’s shaking up the blogosphere with tempting recipes and knockout photography. Below, Meike Peters of Eat in My Kitchen presents a slightly untraditional timpana — a.k.a. Maltese pasta pie — stuffed with zucchini and eggplant.

Photo: Meike Peters

Timpana With Zucchini and Eggplant
Serves 4 to 6

After a long discussion in the kitchen with my (Maltese!) boyfriend, I have to accept that my recipe is not a traditional Maltese timpana — but it tastes just as good, even my man agreed with that!

Timpana is a Mediterranean dish that is very popular in Malta and also in Italy. It’s penne or macaroni pasta mixed with Bolognese sauce and baked in a pastry shell — basically a pasta pie. My version, however, left out the meat sauce. I cooked a concentrated red sauce with fresh tomatoes and lots of basil instead, and sautéed zucchini and eggplant slices until golden and juicy.

I ate my first timpana in Malta, bought from one of the tiny bakeries you find at almost ever street corner in the towns and villages. They sell this pasta dish cut into large squares along trays full of buttery pastizzi and rich ricotta-filled qassata. It’s a street food lunch classic on the island. When I ate a piece of this hearty dish for first time, I didn’t quite understand the concept of wrapping pasta in crisp short crust. But after years of enjoying at least one or two pasta pies during my stay, I got used to this tradition, bite by bite.

I must admit that I prefer the addition of vegetables; the Bolognese sauce makes it a bit too rich and heavy for my taste. But I won’t argue about that ever again, especially not with a Maltese person!

For the filling:

9 ounces (250 grams) penne pasta 
1 clove fresh garlic
Salt
Olive oil
1 ½ pounds (650 grams) tomatoes, chopped (about 6, medium-sized)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Pepper
12 large leaves fresh basil, thinly sliced
2 medium-sized zucchini, cut into ¼-inch slices
1 medium-sized eggplant, cut into ¼-inch slices
5 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan, plus 1 teaspoon for the topping

Cook the pasta in salted water until al dente. They should have bite. Let the penne cool.

On a chopping board, rub and press the chopped garlic under the blade of a large knife with ¼ teaspoon of salt until you have a smooth paste. Heat a splash of olive oil in a large pan, add the garlic paste, chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, vinegar, salt and pepper and cook on medium-high heat for about 10 minutes until thick. Stir in the basil and season to taste, make sure that the basil comes through quite strong. Let the sauce cool completely before you mix it with the cooked pasta.

In a heavy pan, heat a splash of olive oil and sauté the sliced zucchini on medium-high heat for 1 to 2 minutes on each side until golden brown. Cook them in batches; they should be spread out in the pan and not on top of each other. Season with salt and pepper and set them aside to cool. Heat a generous splash of olive oil and sauté the sliced eggplant in the same pan. They will need a little more oil (you’ll have to add some in between batches) and they will also need to cook a bit longer, they should be golden brown, soft and juicy. Season to taste and set them aside to cool.

For the pastry:

2 1/3 cups (300 grams) plain flour 
1 teaspoon salt
1 ¼ sticks (150 grams) cold butter
2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons cold water

For the glaze:

1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon milk 
Pinch of salt

Make the pastry: Combine the flour with the salt. Cut the butter into the flour with a knife until there are just little pieces left. Continue with your fingers and quickly rub the butter into the flour. Add the mixture to a stand mixer, along with the eggs and water. Continue mixing with the hooks of your mixer until you have a crumbly mixture. Form 2 discs, dividing them roughly 2:1, wrap in cling film and put in the freezer for 10 minutes.

Make the glaze: Whisk the egg yolk, milk, and salt. Set aside.

Make the pie: Set the oven to 200°C / 390°F.

Take the dough out of the freezer and roll out both discs between cling film, the bigger piece (about 12 ½ inches in diameter) for the bottom and the smaller one as the lid for the pie.

Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch spring form pan with the bigger piece of pastry. Spread 1/3 of the pasta mixed with the tomato sauce on top of the pastry, sprinkle with 1/3 of the Parmesan, and cover with a layer of eggplant (let the slices overlap a little). Continue with a second layer of pasta (1/3 of the total), sprinkle with parmesan (a third of the total), and cover with the zucchini. Finish with the remaining pasta, cheese, and vegetables (if there are some left). Close with the smaller pastry lid and gently push the rim with your fingers to seal the pie. Brush the top with the egg glaze and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the cheese.

Bake the pie for 15 minutes before you turn the heat down to 175°C / 350°F and bake for another 50 minutes or until the pie is golden and baked through. Let the pie cool for at least 15 minutes before you cut it into pieces.

Need more savory pies? Here you go:

Meaty macaroni pie recipe

Vegetable-filled ‘shepherd’s pie’ recipe

Cornbread and chili pie recipe

Ever made a savory pie? Tell us your favorite below!