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Pastitsio
Pastitsio
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Prep Time:
20 minutes
Cook Time:
90 minutes
Total Time:
120 minutes
Greek-inspired baked pasta with cinnamon-spiced beef, penne, and creamy béchamel topping - a crowd-pleasing dish like no other!
Ingredients:
  • 1 whole clove
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • 1.5 pounds lean ground beef
  • 1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
  • 0.5 cup dry red wine
  • 0.5 cup vegetable broth
  • 0.25 cup tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 pound dry ziti pasta
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 0.25 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 dash ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 0.5 cup butter
  • 0.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 cups milk
  • 0.25 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 1 egg yolk
Instructions:
  • Prepare for culinary magic! Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and generously grease a 9x13-inch casserole dish.
  • In a skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add onion and garlic, cook gently until onion is soft, about 3-5 minutes. Increase heat, add ground beef, cook until browned and crumbly, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, wine, broth, tomato paste, parsley, cinnamon, salt, pepper, and clove. Cover and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.
  • While you wait, get the pasta ready: Boil a large pot of lightly salted water. Cook pasta until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta.
  • Drizzle melted butter over pasta, sprinkle with 1/4 cup of grated cheese, nutmeg, salt, and pepper; mix until well coated. Let it cool for a moment. Add 2 eggs, mix again, and set aside.
  • To prepare the béchamel sauce: Melt butter over gentle heat in a saucepan. Stir in flour and cook for 2 minutes. Slowly pour in milk while stirring until it boils. Season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Let it cool a bit, then mix in grated cheese, beaten egg, and egg yolk. Finally, combine 1/2 cup of the béchamel sauce with the meat sauce.
  • Arrange the pasta neatly at the bottom of the baking dish. Spoon the meat sauce over the pasta, then spread the remaining béchamel sauce evenly. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of grated cheese on top.
  • Bake in the oven until golden and bubbling on top, approximately 50 minutes.
  • Allow to rest for 10 minutes prior to slicing into squares.

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