Pasta Pastitsio

By sherryl61

This dish is the Greek version of Italian ziti. The name translates loosely into "messy kitchen", which is how mine looks when I make it!

Ingredients

• For the meat sauce:
• 3 tablespoons good olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion (1 large)
• 2 pounds lean ground beef (or 1 pound beef and 1 pound lamb)
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 large cloves)
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes in puree
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• For the bechamel sauce:
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan or Kefalotyri cheese
• 2 extra-large eggs,beaten
• 2/3 cup plain Greek yogurt (I like Fage)
• 1 pound penne pasta or Greek long noodles

Preparation

Step 1

Directions

For the sauce, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large pot. Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes.

Add the beef and lamb, and saute over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until it's no longer pink, crumbling it with the back of wooden spoon. Drain off any excess liquid, add the wine, and cook for 2 more minutes.

Add the garlic, cinnamon, oregano, thyme, and cayenne, and continue cooking over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 40 to 45 minutes. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the bechamel, heat the milk and cream together in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until simmering (I have a pot for heating water that I heat this up in).

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Add the flour and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly for 2 minutes.

Pour the warm milk and cream mixture into the butter and flour mixture, whisking constantly. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes, until smooth and thick.

Add the nutmeg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Stir in 3/4 cup of Parmesan cheese. Stir in the eggs and yogurt and set aside.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water until al dente. Don't overcook because the pasta will later be baked. Drain and set aside. (I usually cook for about 3/4 of the recommended time because I like the pasta to absorb the sauce and I like it a little drier).


At this point, you can approach layering in two ways. First method: Add 1/2 cup meat sauce to the béchamel sauce and combine. Add the pasta to the meat and tomato sauce, and pour the mixture into a baking dish. Spread the bechamel evenly to cover the pasta and sprinkle with the remaining 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Bake for 1 hour, until golden brown and bubbly. Set aside for 10 minutes and serve hot.

Second method (traditional and one I use for guests):
Layer half the pasta in a baking dish. Cover with meat sauce. Layer remaining pasta. Cover with béchamel sauce, then remaining cheese. Bake for about 30-45 minutes until golden brown and bubbly.