Pastitsio recipe

Name: Pastitsio
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 2 h 15 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons butter; 3 cups milk; 4 tablespoons butter; salt and pepper to taste; 1 large onion, chopped; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley; 1 large egg, lightly beaten; 1 pound dry ziti pasta; 1 clove garlic, crushed; 1 dash ground nutmeg; cooking spray; 3 large eggs, lightly beaten; 0.5 cup butter; 0.5 cup all-purpose flour; 0.25 cup grated Parmesan cheese; 0.25 teaspoon ground nutmeg; 1.5 pounds lean ground beef; 0.5 cup vegetable broth; 0.25 cup tomato paste; 0.5 cup dry red wine

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Step 2

To assemble pastitsio: Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish. Spoon half of the prepared ziti evenly in the bottom and top with meat sauce. Top with remaining ziti. Pour on cream sauce and spread to completely cover ziti. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top.

Step 3

Prepare the pasta: Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti and cook until tender yet firm to the bite, 8 to 10 minutes.

Step 4

Melt butter until golden brown and pour over ziti. Add Parmesan cheese, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Toss well. Cool briefly. Add eggs and toss again; set aside.

Step 5

Make the meat sauce: Melt butter in a skillet and gently fry onion and garlic until onion is soft, 3 to 5 minutes. Increase heat and add ground beef; stir well. Cook until meat begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Add wine, broth, tomato paste, parsley, salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.

Step 6

Make the cream sauce: Melt butter in a saucepan, stir in flour and cook gently for 2 minutes. Pour in milk all at once and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil gently for 1 minute. Add nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Cool slightly before stirring in beaten egg. Transfer 1/2 cup of this sauce to the meat sauce.