Baked Ziti (Greek)

By jubies09

A new twist on a family favorite.

Ingredients

• Salt
• 1 pound ziti
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 pound ground lamb
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely shopped or grated
• 2 to 3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed and shopped
• 2 pinches ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon (about 1/3 palmful) allspice
• Ground black pepper
• 1 15 ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
• 6 tablespoons butter, divided
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 3 cups milk
• A few grates of nutmeg
• 1 cup grated parmigiano reggiano
• 2 Pitas, toasted or 1 1/2 cups pita chips
• 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Preparation

Step 1

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place a large pot of water over high heat to cook the pasta. When the water is boiling, add some salt and drop the pasta. Cook to al dente according to the package directions. Drain the pasta and reserve

2. Place a medium pot over medium high heat with 2 turns of the pan of extra virgin olive oil, about 2 tablespoons. Add the ground lamb to the pot and cook until golden brown, 5-6 minutes

3. Add the onion, garlic, carrot, thyme, cinnamon and allspice to the pot, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the veggies are tender, 4-5 minutes

4. Add the can of tomatoes to the pot and gently break them up with a potato masher or back of a wooden spon. Simmer the sauce intil lightly thickened, 4-5 minutes.

5. While the sauce is working, place another medium pot over medium high heat with 2 tablespoons butter. When the butter is melted, sprinkle in the flour and cook for about 1 minute. Whisk the milk and nutmeg into the butter-flour mixture, and season with salt and pepper. Simmer until thickened, 3-4 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in 1/2 cup of the grated cheese (about 2 handfuls, just eyeball it)into the sauce.

6. In the bowlof a food processor, crush up the toasted pita or pita chips to make coarse breadcrumbs. Transfer the crumbs to a small bowl and toss with the remaining cheese and parsley. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and add it to the breadcrumb-cheese mixture.

7. Toss the cooked pasta with half of the white sauce. Transfer half of the pasta to a casserole dish and ladle the red sauce over top. Cover the res sauce with the remaining pasta and ladle the remaining white sauce over the top of the dish. Sprinkle the breadcrumb-cheese mixture over everything and bake until light golden brown and bubbly, about 30 minutes.