Food.com
Description:Notes from Mario Batali: "anyone who has seen Stanley Tucci's cinematic masterpiece, Big Night, will remember Primo's rendition of this classic, which takes its name from a large drum. My version differs from that one in many ways, but like it, it makes for a dramatic presentation. Surprisingly, it is not nearly as tricky to prepare as it looks. Except for the rigatoni, you can prepare the whole thing the day before; just blanch the pasta and assemble the dish in the afternoon before your guests arrive. It can then rest in the refrigerator for several hours before the final cooking. You will need a 4 quart metal mixing bowl for the final assembly. from s'kat: It was two years before I finally found an occasion I could whip this out for. I did all of my prep work in the weeks preceding the recipe, freezing the components as I went along. The day of the assembly, I only had to make the besciamella sauce, which took mere minutes. I also cheated, in that I! didn't make fresh pasta, I bought some from a local Italian deli. Although this didn't come out exactly perfectly, I'm posting it in the hopes that someone else who may want to make this can help me figure out the proper baking times. When I pulled it out, it wasn't warm enough in the middle. I kept it going for at least another 30 minutes, even turning up the temperature towards the end. Additionally, when I went to cut my first wedge and pull it out, the pasta collapsed when free of the dome, instead of sticking together. It still tasted incredible, and there were audible gasps when I hauled this sucker out to the dining room. It is my intention to make it at least once a year, from now on. Have fun!
