Pastitsio

Name: Pastitsio
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 90 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: greek
Ingredients: 1 lb bucatini (or thick tubular pasta); 1.5 lb ground beef (80/20); 1, finely diced yellow onion; 3 cloves, minced garlic; 2 tbsp tomato paste; 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes; 1/2 cup dry red wine; 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon; 1/4 tsp ground allspice; 8 tbsp unsalted butter; 2/3 cup all-purpose flour; 4 cups, warm whole milk; 3 large eggs; 1.5 cups, grated kefalotyri (or pecorino); 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg; 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Greek baked pasta — bucatini layered with cinnamon-spiced beef ragù and a thick lid of nutmeg béchamel, sliced into squares straight from the pan.

nut-free
high-protein
contains-meat
contains-dairy
contains-eggs

Ingredients

bucatini (or thick tubular pasta)1 lb
ground beef (80/20)1.5 lb
yellow onion1, finely diced
garlic3 cloves, minced
tomato paste2 tbsp
crushed tomatoes1 (28 oz) can
dry red wine1/2 cup
ground cinnamon1/2 tsp
ground allspice1/4 tsp
unsalted butter8 tbsp
all-purpose flour2/3 cup
whole milk4 cups, warm
large eggs3
kefalotyri (or pecorino)1.5 cups, grated
freshly grated nutmeg1/4 tsp
extra-virgin olive oil2 tbsp

Steps

Brown beef and cook aromatics.
Brown the beef hard in olive oil. Add onion and garlic and cook until soft, 6 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, cinnamon, and allspice.
Add wine and simmer sauce.
Pour in the wine and let it nearly evaporate. Add the crushed tomatoes and simmer until thick, about 25 minutes. Season generously.
Boil pasta and toss with butter.
Boil the pasta in well-salted water 2 minutes shy of al dente. Drain and toss with a knob of butter.
Make the béchamel sauce.
Make the béchamel: melt butter, whisk in flour, cook 2 minutes. Pour in the warm milk gradually, whisking. Simmer until very thick. Off heat, stir in nutmeg, half the cheese, and the eggs.
Layer pasta, cheese, and meat sauce.
Heat oven to 375°F (190°C). Layer half the pasta in a buttered 9x13 dish, sprinkle with cheese, top with all the meat sauce, then the rest of the pasta.
Pour béchamel, top, and bake.
Pour the béchamel over and smooth. Top with remaining cheese. Bake until deeply golden and set, about 50 minutes.
Rest before slicing.
Rest at least 30 minutes before slicing — pastitsio needs the time to firm up.

Nutrition

Nutrition, per serving. 520 calories. Protein 32.5 grams, 24 percent. Carbs 40.7 grams, 30 percent. Fat 26.8 grams, 45 percent. Fiber 3.1 grams, sugar 8.2 grams, saturated fat 11.5 grams, sodium 520 milligrams. Estimated from ingredients.