Pastitsio II

Makes a lot and is just incredible. Everyone loves this dish and it is worth the effort.

• Preparation Time: 45 mins
• Cooking Time: 1 hr 30 mins
• Total Time: 2 hr 15 mins
• Calories: 576 Calories

Ingredients

• ½ cup butter
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons butter
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 3 cups milk
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 ½ pounds lean ground beef
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• ½ cup vegetable broth
• ¼ cup tomato paste
• 1 pound dry ziti pasta
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• ½ cup dry red wine
• 1 dash ground nutmeg
• cooking spray

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

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

Step 2

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 3

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 4

To make meat sauce: Gently fry onion and garlic in butter in a skillet 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 tomato paste, wine, broth, parsley, salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.

Step 5

To make cream sauce: Melt butter in 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.

Step 6

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 7

Bake in a preheated oven for 50 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting into squares.