Haven’t tried it. Looking at the recipe, it calls for 3.5 cups of parm which at about 3 ounces a cup is 10.5 ounces, plus 8 ounces of smoked cheese is 18.5 ounces. Divide by 6 to 8 servings you get between about 2.3 to 3 ounces of cheese per person. That’s in the ballpark of a couple slices of pizza, so I’d consider that normal. Add in the meat and bacon and it‘s a filling pie.

Can’t answer you on the dryness, but I’ve never found any of Giada’s recipes to have fundamental flaws of that nature. I say go for it!

"DH wants to make it but it looks a little dry to me."

I looked at the recipe quickly and am thinking the sauced pasta with sauce on top will help keep it moist. The filling ingredients might help, too. Looks like it takes some time to make, but that's usually the fun part for me.

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/timballo-genovese-7134339

Mini version is in the toaster oven - will let you know!

Awesome! Looks delicious

Yeah, it was. My wife and I killed it. Don’t judge. 😉

You almost spelled in correctly - you just added an "a" to Timballo.

I would make it if my brother would eat beef.

Lars, I'll bet you could make a very similar version with turkey or chicken, or even that new "not really beef but looks and tastes like beef" stuff. Too bad spelling errors cannot be corrected in the titles of the posts, once it's there, it's there forever.

It does look really good, FOAS, although I had to smile at the part of the directions that said to remove that eye of round and use it for another purpose. What in the world are you going to use it for? (grin) It's already been cooked nearly 3 hours, so shredded in something?

Annie

Sorry about that

Annie - I decided the flavor was coming from the browning so I used stew cubes instead. I only simmered about two hours but still it was pretty rough after all that yet still kinda sorta edible. My other change was I used pancetta instead of bacon. I think some reviewers suggested that and it made sense. Last comment from my experience, I regretted reducing the recipe; it’s time consuming enough to where leftovers would have been nice.

I always thought of it as a holiday Christmas Day recipe, wrapped in pastry, similar to the Canadian tourtière pie. Probably because our local Italian market makes them for the holidays. Most NY Italians make them using all the fixings from their big family meal that includes all the big casseroles like ziti, eggplant parm, meatballs, Mac-n-cheese, etc. Our market has all those Italian American carb classics year-round so they just stack all of it in pastry like a deep dish pie.

But I was wrong. Looking at google image, hundreds of recipes, most with pastry but many without. Mostly round and deep, but also some square or a classic rectangle casserole dish. Any pasta shape, some with rice and various vegetable. If lasagna, meatloaf, and make-n-cheese had a baby...Timballo.

So yes, I make similar quite often. Maybe half a dozen times a year. Comes together quick using leftover pasta but planned, (not really 'leftovers) and take a packet of meatballs and a sauce out of the freezer, a pint of stock, then usually any fresh veg on hand as a layer and not so much cheese. Mushrooms, etc. I just call it a pasta bake. Has all the lasagna flavors without the all day fuss. Sometimes a sliced potato base layer, then mixed rice/grain if I have it in the fridge that needs using up. Fresh tomato slices on top in season. I've made it twice since New Years. I just prefer a casserole type dish in one baking container to fill all the food value triangle points. So no veg side dish is needed. Maybe a side salad. Also great for next day lunches.

It is an oddly written recipe. Task heavy for the outcome. I've never made it from scratch all in one day. Though FOAS attempt looks great with the crispy top.

A quick google image link, HERE

Hmm, I can’t seem to find anything that gives me a clear definition, sounds like put it in a round mold and throw it in the oven and call it timballo. This version is just supposedly their family favorite. It‘s obviously very marsala forward, plus all the cheese and the smokey provalone came through nicely. Not your typical pasta with red sauce creation. We liked it a lot. Even though, yes, the top got a bit overdone. Probably shoulda used the real oven instead of the Breville. But for us burnt cheese is the best part.