Timpana - Macaroni Pie

Pasta and meat baked with a puff pastry crust

1. 1

   Chop garlic and fry with herbs - add mince and brown off.
   
   Add tomatoes and simmer for 10 mins, then add tomato puree and simmer for about 20mins till the sauce is thick and rich.
   
   If you have some handy, throw in a couple of glugs of red wine for extra richness, and if you are peckish while waiting for it to cook, here's your chance to dip in a slice of bread to mop up the sauce... strictly for tasting purposes of course!
   
   Add salt and pepper to taste.
   
   Meanwhile, cook the pasta as per instructions on the pack. Drain well.
   
   In a large deep baking tray, mix the pasta with the sauce, but make sure you don't add too much. The pasta should be well coated as opposed to swimming in sauce.
   
   Mix up the eggs with a dash of milk, with salt and pepper. Pour the egg mix over the whole tray of pasta and sauce. This will bake through so make sure there is enough egg to go all the way through the tray.
   
   Roll out the pastry, and top the dish.Brush with a little milk and prick a few hole in the top.
   
   Bake in a medium to hot oven for about 40mins until egg is cooked through and pastry golden brown.
   
   If you want to omit the pastry, you can also top the dish with a layer of grated white cheese and an optional spoonful of parmesan before popping it in the oven.
   
   It is packed full of carbs but reminscent of many days wandering around Bugibba in Malta and grabbing a hearty snack on the way home from the beach.