Eggplant Timbale

I only had myself and my poor time management to blame that I missed the deadline for Random Recipe challenge last month. To avoid any more disappointments, I cooked and ate my entry pretty early this time. It is the challenge's first birthday this month and participants are asked to choose a random recipe from that first random book this time a year ago. Mine was Giada's Kitchen: New Italian Favorites by the beautiful Giada De Laurentiis. And the recipe I selected at random is the eggplant (or aubergines if you're in this side of the Atlantic) timbale.

I love aubergines with pasta and this recipe is exactly that, but presented in a form of a pie. The soft crust is made with thinly sliced then grilled aubergines. And the delicious pasta filling is flavoured with a combination of minced beef and pork sausage, tomatoes, onions, Marsala wine, peas, marinara sauce, mozzarella and parmesan cheese.

I agree the making of the pie involves some 'faffing around' (yes, 'faffing around' is now a completely legit culinary technical term... in my kitchen, anyway) but rather fun. Though I was a bit nervous myself. How if the pie collapse?! what a disaster... But I held my breath and thankfully, it stood still until me and my friends demolish the whole thing.

Eggplant Timbale
Recipe by Giada De Laurentiis
For list of ingredients and instructions, click here.