Pasta Timballo: A Southern Italian Easter Tradition

In a saucepan, melt butter and add flour to create a roux. Cook for about 5 minutes to eliminate the raw flour taste.

In a separate pot, warm the milk and season with salt and nutmeg.

Gradually add the cooked roux to the warm milk, whisking continuously until the sauce thickens and is free of lumps.

In a pan with olive oil, cook the pancetta until rendered. Then, add diced onions and cook until softened.

Season the pancetta and onion mixture with salt, then add the peas and cook through. Set aside on a plate to cool.

In the same pan, add more olive oil and sear the ground pork and beef. Season with salt and pepper, and brown the meat completely.

Deglaze the pan with a splash of white wine, allowing it to reduce. Once cooked, set the meat aside to cool.

Generously butter a ciambella (bundt) pan and coat it thoroughly with breadcrumbs.

In a large bowl, combine the halfway-cooked tagliatelle with the béchamel sauce and Parmigiano cheese.

Add the cooled meat mixture and the pea-pancetta mixture to the pasta. Gently mix everything together by hand to keep the pasta intact. Add more cheese to taste.

Fill the prepared ciambella pan with half of the pasta mixture. Add a layer of cubed mozzarella in the center, then top with the remaining pasta.

Sprinkle the top with more breadcrumbs and add a few pats of butter.

Bake the pasta timballo in the oven until golden brown and cooked through. The video does not specify the temperature or time.

After baking, let the timballo rest for about an hour before serving.

To serve, place a board or large plate over the pan and carefully invert it.

Slice the pasta timballo and serve warm.