Summer’s Bounty Timballo Made with Zucchini, Tomatoes and Rice

Fresh garden produce in the height of season makes this baked dish special

Audrey Hepburn once said “to plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.”  I didn’t realize that she shared my own belief about gardens but it’s so true that cultivating plants, whether vegetables or flowers, yields so much satisfaction.

Here in Delaware, we’ve arrived at the apex of growing season, replete with stunning colors, tasty produce and bountiful harvests, not to mention of course the neighbors gifting their tomatoes, zucchini, peppers, herbs and fruit, plus roadside farm stands offering corn just picked from farmers’ fields.  It’s a little overwhelming – the dilemma of how in the world to use all of this wealth so that it doesn’t go to waste.

Corn, thankfully, is easy.  You just steam the ears for a few minutes, slather them with butter and munch away, or carefully cut, bag and freeze the steamed kernels for use over the winter.  Tomatoes are trickier.  One can only consume so much fresh salad.  A cousin just finished making sauce and canning them but that entails quite a lot of work, as my grandmother would say, to “put them up”.  Zucchini are tricky in another way.  The gardener must be vigilant in order to catch them before they grow into baseball bats.  But picked when still a manageable size they can contribute to so many dishes, sliced, diced or cut into lengthwise “boats”.

This weekend, inspired by food friend Domenica Marchetti’s recently posted recipe, I took a riff on a quintessential Italian baked dish called a timballo.  Many will remember the timballo that was featured by Stanley Tucci in the movie “The Big Night” as an over-the-top production, but it needn’t be. 

This is one of those dishes that can be made in so many ways and best of all in this bountiful season, with whatever fresh ingredients are at hand.  It’s made with either pasta or rice as the starch and available ingredients.  Baked in a springform pan, the name comes from the Italian word for “drum”.  Having been gifted with tomatoes and zucchini, it was an easy decision how to tailor the dish and that’s the rendition in the recipe which follows.


Summer’s Bounty Timballo
(This dish is best made in stages with ingredients assembled at the end for baking)

Ingredients
2 medium Zucchini (1 lb approx.)
1-2 links chicken sausage, casing removed, crumbled
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
24 oz of sautéed tomatoes, skins removed or 1 bottle of tomato passata
2 cups Arborio rice
7 cups mix of chicken broth and water
2 tsp salt
8 oz fresh mozzarella
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
4 tbs olive oil
¼ cup fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped but reserve a few whole ones
½ cup dry breadcrumbs
Salt, pepper and hot pepper flakes to taste

Preparation
Grease a springform pan or bundt pan with cooking spray or olive oil.  When ready to bake the timballo, oven must be heated to 450 degrees.

If using fresh tomatoes, saute at med-low heat after first bringing to bubbling stage.  Saute till softened and juices are thickened to sauce consistency, ~30 minutes.  Season lightly with salt and include a few whole basil leaves.  Remove from heat and set aside.

Place 7 cups of water or water combined with chicken broth in a large pan and add 2 tsp salt.  Bring to a boil and stir in the rice.  Return to a boil then take heat down to a simmer, and simmer uncovered for ~15 minutes or until rice is al dente.  Drain and transfer rice to a large mixing bowl. Stir tomatoes into rice till thoroughly combined.  Add in cheese and basil pieces.

Cut ¼ inch thick rounds of the zucchini, enough to fully cover the bottom of the pan.  Dice the remainder and set aside.  Saute the rounds in olive oil over medium heat, cooking both sides till slightly browned, about 3 minutes per side.  Season lightly with salt while cooking.  Remove and drain on paper towels.  Lay zucchini slices around bottom of springform pan so they make attractive circles.

In the same pan, saute onion, garlic and diced zucchini till softened, adding additional oil if needed and seasoning to taste.  Remove from pan when softened and set aside.  Brown sausage pieces till golden. Combine onion mixture with sausage bits. 

Make sure oven is now heated to 450 degrees.  To assemble timballo, spoon a layer of the rice mix on top of the zucchini slices, making sure to smooth out the top.  Spread a layer of the vegetable sausage mix on top then add another layer of rice topped with remainder of vegetable mix. Top with remaining rice.  Sprinkle bread crumbs over the top.

Bake this dish atop a sheet pan for ~40 minutes or until the top is golden and the mixture is bubbling.  A knife inserted into the center should come out clean.  Cool in the pan till the sides loosen or run a knife around the edge.  Open the pan, let cool further for a few minutes then flip the timballo onto a large plate.  Serve while warm or at room temperature.  Garnish with whole basil leaves.