Pastitsio

This is such a lovely dish full of flavours and body.

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 2

Total Time 2 5

Servings people

To make the meat sauce, heat the butter in a skillet over moderate heat and saute the onion until tender but not brown, about 5 minutes.
4 tbsp butter, 2 medium onions
Add the beef and lamb and saute until browned.
1 lb ground beef, 1 lb ground lamb
Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer.
2 cups tomato sauce, 2 cloves garlic, 1/4 cup parsley, 1/2 tsp dried oregano, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, ground pepper, Salt
Cook covered over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, to make the béchamel sauce, heat the butter in a saucepan over moderate heat.
4 tbsp butter
Stir in the flour and cook for 3 minutes.
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Stir in the milk and bring to a boil, stirring frequently.
3 cups milk
Remove from the heat and stir some of the milk mixture into the beaten eggs.
6 large eggs
Stir the egg mixture into the milk mixture and season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
nutmeg, salt, ground pepper
Cook the pasta in salted water until slightly under-done, about 8 minutes.
1 lb macaroni
Drain and place half the cooked pasta in a greased 3-quart (3 L) baking dish.
Sprinkle with half the cheese and spread all of the meat sauce over the top.
Add the remaining pasta, all of the béchamel sauce, and the remaining cheese.
1 cup parmesan
Bake in a preheated 350F (180C) oven until the top is browned and bubbling, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before cutting into serving portions.