What do Italian and Lebanese cuisine have in common? Let's find out by tasting the Nerano timbale recipe
In these early autumn days in Capri, the 23rd edition of Malaparte Prize, the ninth since Michele Pontecorvo of the water family Ferrarelle is Gabriella Bontempo, grandson of the founder Graziella, have decided to give it new life and give to Capri the possibility of returning to being the cultural epicenter of the past. And the recognition he saw Alberto Moravia among the protagonists, he won it Amin Maalouf, the Lebanese writer who reflects on the macro phenomena of the world and author of the book, among others, The Shipwreck of Civilizations (ed. La Nave di Teseo). Will you tell me what Italian cuisine has to do with it? Well, it actually has something to do with it because it was at one of these lunches where we were asked things like "Will China be the hegemonic power of the planet after the pandemic?" What role will the United States of America play? " that I tasted the timbale alla Nerano best and unique in my life, unique since it is an invention of Maria Laura Pignata, known as IG @partenopeat_mlpignata. An excellent dish of which I asked the young Neapolitan chef for the recipe who also thrilled Isabella Bossi Fedrigotti, who also discovered herself a high-born cook. However, here is what Maria Laura suggested.
Timballo alla Nerano: recipe for 4 people
The day before: take 3 kilos of zucchini and slice half the weight into slices or into small pieces. Cut the other half lengthwise, pay attention to the thickness which must be about two millimeters, if they are too thin they risk falling apart. Fry the first half in plenty of seed oil. Do not drain too much and arrange in layers in a pan (without additional seasoning) together with Grated Parmigiano Reggiano (in total 150 g), Baby of Sorrento or a soft cheese in small pieces, such as a young provolone (150 g in all), Provolone del Monaco or in any case a nice aged provolone (150 g). Arrange layers so that the vegetables and cheeses mix well and add a lot of basil at each step, cut into pieces with your hands. Then cover with cling film and refrigerate until the next day, possibly in the compartment next to the vegetables which is not too cold.
Fry the other half without breaking the courgettes, placing them in absorbent paper and leave to rest.
The next day, cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water. The ideal are bucatini, in any case, any type is valid, the important thing is to cook it a little less than half the expected time. For example: if the bucatini must cook at least 6/9 minutes as indicated on the package, Maria Laura drains them already at 3 minutes max.
We line the donut mold with the zucchini without leaving even a space. In a separate bowl, stir the pasta with a little butter and all the courgette and cheese mixture a little at a time, adding cooking water as needed. Pour into the mold and close everything with the remaining courgettes, at this point bake at 180 degrees for 30 minutes (static oven).
Once ready, let it rest out of the oven for 10 minutes.
The kitchen that unites …
Now, while Maria Laura was telling me all this she came close to us, André Maalouf, the wife of the winner who later discovered herself the author of two Lebanese cookery books in France, as well as having one arriving in Italy with the publisher The Ship of Theseus. The husband is one of the members of theAcadémie Française, the highest French cultural institution founded by Cardinal Richelieu to which Alexandre Dumas and Marguerite Yourcenar also belonged, so to speak, and Madame is no less in research and discovery as well as in the story of the culinary art.
And while he told us about his timbale and its similarities, rather a sartù with rice instead of pasta, eggplant instead of courgettes and showed us the photo, we saw two almost identical dishes. Suddenly there was a tangibly widespread feeling that the kitchen unites and in the end the Mediterranean is just a large and small pool of civilization. Look at the photos to believe.
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