Tagliatelle Pasta Pie With Mushrooms (Il Timballo Del Gattopardo)

ricotta cheese

🥗Healthier: cottage cheese

💰Cheaper: cream cheese

Cottage cheese provides a similar texture with fewer calories.

parmesan cheese

🥗Healthier: nutritional yeast

💰Cheaper: grated pecorino

Nutritional yeast is lower in fat and offers a cheesy flavor.

mozzarella cheese

🥗Healthier: part-skim mozzarella

💰Cheaper: cheddar cheese

Cheddar is often less expensive and melts well.

tagliatelle

🥗Healthier: whole wheat pasta

💰Cheaper: spaghetti

Whole wheat pasta adds fiber, while spaghetti is more budget-friendly.

Prepare the béchamel: Combine butter and flour in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring continuously until it turns pale yellow.

Remove the saucepan from heat and gradually add warm milk, stirring continuously to prevent lumps.

Return to heat, bring to a boil while stirring, then lower heat and stir until smooth and very liquid.

Finish the béchamel with salt and a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg.

Boil frozen peas for exactly 5 minutes, then drain them.

In a large pan, stir-fry onion; add bacon if not making a vegetarian version.

Add regular and porcini mushrooms to the pan; if they release too much water, remove it to prevent a watery filling.

Once mushrooms are cooked, add the cooked peas and remove from stove.

Boil the tagliatelle for only half the time indicated on the package (2 minutes if using fresh tagliatelle).

Drain the pasta and immediately mix with the mushrooms and pea filling.

Add béchamel sauce and grated Parmesan cheese to the pasta mixture, ensuring everything is well combined and creamy.

Let the pasta cool down to room temperature while preparing the pie dish.

Grease a pie pan with a removable bottom and line it with a sheet of shortcrust pastry; prick the bottom with a fork.

Pour half of the pasta filling into the dish, then create a layer of sliced fresh mozzarella on top.

Pour the rest of the pasta filling on top of the mozzarella layer.

Cover with a second sheet of pastry and use remnants to cut out decorations like stars or stripes.

Brush the top of the pastry with egg wash.

Bake the pie in a preheated oven at 200°C (400°F) for 25 minutes.

Cover the top loosely with aluminum foil to prevent burning, then return to the oven and bake for another 20 minutes.

Once cooked, remove from the oven and wait 10 minutes before carefully moving to a serving plate.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary

Allergens