Spaghetti Timbales

By the RecipeCafe Archives

Ingredients

• 1 Cooked spaghetti, long strips (quantity sufficient to line moulds — see notes)
• 1 Unsalted butter, softened, for greasing moulds
• 1 Filling as directed in Macaroni Timbales (see notes)

Instructions

1. 1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter the insides of individual dariole moulds (approximately 4-oz / 120 ml capacity, roughly 2.5 inches / 6 cm diameter at base).
2. 2. Cook spaghetti in well-salted boiling water until fully tender (not al dente), 10–14 minutes, until limp and pliable enough to coil without breaking — the strands should bend easily around your finger without snapping.
3. 3. Line the bottom and sides of each mould with long single strands of the cooked spaghetti, coiling each strand tightly around the interior wall in overlapping rings, starting from the base and working upward. There should be no visible gaps; the spaghetti layer should be one strand thick and continuous.
4. 4. Prepare the filling as directed in Farmer's Macaroni Timbales recipe (see notes) and spoon it into the lined moulds, pressing gently to eliminate air pockets. Fill to within 1/4 inch (6 mm) of the rim.
5. 5. Set filled moulds in a deep baking pan (a 9×13-inch / 23×33 cm roasting pan works well). Pour hot water into the outer pan to reach halfway up the sides of the moulds — this technique is called a bain-marie (a water bath that moderates heat and prevents the egg-set custard-style filling from curdling or cracking).
6. 6. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 25–35 minutes, until the filling is fully set: the tops should show no liquid jiggle when the pan is gently nudged, a thin knife inserted in the centre of one mould should come out clean, and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the filling should read at least 160°F (71°C).
7. 7. Remove moulds from the water bath and let stand 5 minutes on a wire rack — the filling will firm further and the spaghetti will release slightly from the sides.
8. 8. Run a thin knife around the edge of each mould, place a warmed plate face-down over the top, and invert with a confident motion. Lift the mould straight up. The timbale should hold its cylindrical shape with the coiled spaghetti visible on the exterior.