Recipe: ‘Big Night’ dinner for Tony Shalhoub

Lisa Lavagetto shares the dinner she cooked at the home of Nancy and John Lasseter in honor of the 1996 movie.|

Note: Lisa Lavagetto served for 25 years as manager of Ramekins Culinary School. During that time she taught this recipe to hundreds of guests, and her Big Night classes always sold out quickly.

Lavagetto was invited by Nancy and John Lasseter to make this recipe from the 1996 movie “Big Night” for star Tony Shalhoub and the rest of the cast at the Lasseters’ home in Glen Ellen.

While this is a long recipe, we are all lucky to learn and attempt Lavagetto’s secrets.

Be sure to read the recipe all the way through before you shop or make sure you have all ingredients. It’s worth the effort. – Kathleen Thompson Hill

Imagine the entire extended family gathered around the dining table anticipating the arrival of one of the most special meals in the Italian culture. Anyone who has seen the movie “Big Night” knows exactly what I am taking about. Timballo. I was fortunate enough to make the entire meal for the cast of the movie.

The movie itself is about two brothers from Italy who come to New York in the 1950s who are preparing a special meal for a local celebrity. The entire film is about the meal being prepared. You guessed it. Timballo!

Timballo is a fabulous baked pasta drum. I make it in an 8-quart stainless steel bowl. I line it with the rolled pasta dough or pastry dough and then layer with rigatoni pasta mixed in Bolognese meat sauce, hard-boiled eggs, pesto, cheese, meatballs and anything else you would like to put in. Seal the bottom and pop in the oven. It can be served as is or with a side of Marinara and a huge green salad.

It is a lot of work due to all the components but it is a real opportunity to get your whole family involved. It is such a huge diverse collection of flavors and textures with lots of different colors and layers. Trust me it is worth the effort.

Treat your family to a wonderful meal and a great movie. It is tradition in our house. By the way, the star of the move is definitely the Timballo!

Enjoy!

Timballo

Ingredients

1 recipe of pastry dough (See below.)

8 oz of pasta cooked very al dente (penne or rigatoni)

1 cup of fresh ricotta cheese

3 cup of marinara sauce or Bolognese

3 hardboiled eggs, sliced

½ cup of parmesan cheese

3 cups of cooked meatballs

3 tablespoons of unsalted butter

1 cup of pesto

1 pound of asparagus, cut in 2” lengths diagonally

For the Dough

4 cups of all-purpose flour

4 large eggs

1 teaspoons of kosher salt

3 Tablespoons of olive oil

½ cup of water

Place eggs, flour, salt and olive oil into a standing mixer with a dough hook. Add 3 Tablespoons of water and blend. Keep adding water by the Tablespoon until dough comes together in a ball. Set aside and let rest for 5 minutes.

Flatten dough out on lightly floured board, roll, dusting the top and flipping it over, rolling until it is about 1/16th inch thick.

Grease bowl with butter and olive oil. Fold dough in half and in half again to form a triangle, then place it in the pan. Unfold dough and arrange it in the pan, gently pressing into the sides and bottom. Allow excess to drape over sides of bowl. Set aside.

Marinara Sauce

Ingredients for the sauce:

1 can (28oz) of Italian tomatoes

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion, finely diced

½ teaspoon of oregano, dried

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 teaspoon of kosher salt

¼ teaspoon of pepper

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon of Italian parsley, chopped

1 sprig of basil

sugar to taste (if needed)

Sauté onion in hot oil until translucent. Add the oregano and garlic and cook for about a minute. Then add the tomatoes, salt, pepper, bay leaf, parsley, and basil. Simmer for about 15 minutes and taste. Use sugar as necessary to reduce bitterness.

Pesto

3 large garlic cloves

1/2 cup pine nuts

2 oz Parmigiano-Reggiano, coarsely grated (2/3 cup)

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

3 cups loosely packed fresh basil

2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

With food processor running, drop in garlic and finely chop. Stop motor and add nuts, cheese, salt, pepper, and basil, then process until finely chopped. With motor running, add oil, blending until incorporated.

Makes about 1 1/3 cups.

Meatballs

Ingredients

½ lb ground veal

½ lb ground Beef

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 eggs

1 bunch of parsley, chopped

1 cup of parmesan cheese

½ cup of breadcrumbs

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon paprika

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 cup of canola oil, for frying

In a mixing bowl, add all the ingredients except the oil. Mix well, form little balls the size of quail eggs.

In a large skillet, heat the oil on high heat, cook the meatballs on all sides till golden. Remove from oil set on paper to drain oil

Assembly

Begin making layers in prepared bowl with the cooked pasta tossed with the marinara sauce, meatballs, ricotta, eggs, pesto, asparagus, and parmesan cheese. Repeat, until the bowl is full. Press down with a plate.

Best if allowed to rest for 6 hours prior to cooking.

Place in oven covered with foil and cook for 1 hour. Remove from oven let rest for 10 minutes. Unmold and serve with warm marinara sauce.

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