Pastitsio

Ingredients

• •Bucatini pasta
• •Ground beef
• •Butter
• •Flour
• •Milk
• •Kefalotyri cheese
• •Tomato paste
• •Cinnamon
• •Eggs

Steps

1. 1Cook thick tubular pasta such as bucatini in salted boiling water until just shy of al dente, then drain and toss with a beaten egg and grated cheese so it forms a sealed base layer.
2. 2In a wide pan, brown ground beef with diced onion until no pink remains, then stir in tomato paste, a splash of red wine, cinnamon, and a bay leaf and simmer until the mixture thickens into a fragrant meat sauce.
3. 3Spread half the pasta in a buttered baking dish, cover with the entire meat sauce, then top with the remaining pasta to create three distinct layers.
4. 4Make a béchamel by whisking melted butter and flour into a smooth paste, gradually adding warm milk while stirring constantly until it thickens, then remove from heat and beat in egg yolks and grated kefalotyri or parmesan cheese.
5. 5Pour the béchamel evenly over the pasta, smoothing the top with a spatula so it seals the layers completely.
6. 6Bake in a moderate oven until the top turns deep golden and slightly puffed, which usually takes about 45 minutes.
7. 7Let the pastitsio rest for at least 20 minutes before cutting so the layers hold together when sliced.
8. 8Serve warm as a hearty main course, often alongside a simple green salad.