Pastitsio

Name: Pastitsio
Total time: 120 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 1 lb ziti, bucatini or pastitsio macaroni; 2 lb ground beef; 1 unit yellow onion (chopped); 2 clove garlic (minced); 14 oz crushed tomatoes; 2 tbsp tomato paste; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; 5 tbsp butter; 5 tbsp all-purpose flour; 3 ½ cup whole milk; 3 unit large eggs; 1 ¼ cup Parmesan (finely grated); 2 tsp salt; ½ tsp black pepper

Meat & Game · European

14 ingredients · 120 minutes · 8 servings

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683kcal42.6g protein31.2g fat56.4g carbs~$2.46/ serving*

Contains gluten, dairy, egg

Restrictions

Containsgluten · dairy · eggIt is in an ingredient you cannot leave out.

Diets

No porkNo alcohol

Worked out from the ingredient list. It knows nothing about brands, shared equipment or cross contamination, and it is not a certification — if you have an allergy, you still have to read the label.

Ingredients

Servings:

1 lb	ziti, bucatini or pastitsio macaroni
2 lb	ground beef
1 unit	yellow onion (chopped)
2 clove	garlic (minced)
14 oz	crushed tomatoes
2 tbsp	tomato paste
1 tsp	ground cinnamon
5 tbsp	butter
5 tbsp	all-purpose flour
3 ½ cup	whole milk
3 unit	large eggs
1 ¼ cup	Parmesan (finely grated)
2 tsp	salt
½ tsp	black pepper

Steps

Simmer25 min
meat sauce thick with no watery pool
Brown the beef with onion, add garlic, tomato, paste, cinnamon, salt and pepper, then simmer until concentrated. The sauce needs to be drier than ordinary pasta sauce so it holds a distinct middle layer.
Mix10 min
pasta lightly bound with egg and cheese
Cook the pasta just shy of tender, drain, cool briefly, then toss with one beaten egg and half a cup of cheese. The light binding helps the bottom layer slice cleanly instead of spilling loose noodles.
Mix12 min
béchamel very thick and smooth
Cook butter and flour briefly, whisk in milk and cook until thick. Off heat, temper in the remaining eggs and half the remaining cheese. The béchamel should sit on top rather than seep between the pasta tubes.
Bake40 min
béchamel deeply golden and center set
Pack pasta into the pan, spread the meat sauce evenly, add the béchamel and finish with the remaining cheese. Bake until browned and set through.
Rest25 min
layers firm enough for square slices
Rest the casserole before cutting. Pastitsio is deliberately structured; serving it straight from the oven turns the three layers into a loose scoop instead of a clean slice.