I'm a seasonal eater, and in the summer I don't give this dish a second thought. But come fall and winter...well, I could eat this just about every day. Ground lamb, pasta, Béchamel sauce...perfection. The recipe is from Martha Stewart Living and it's been a staple of our winter menu for almost a decade now. Enjoy!
Pastitsio
Meat Sauce:
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 lg. onion, diced small
2 lbs. ground lamb
2 tsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground pepper
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 cup dry red wine
6 ounce can tomato paste
2 dried bay leaves
2 cups water
Béchamel Sauce:
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
3 cups whole milk
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
Pinch of cayenne pepper
To Assemble:
Unsalted butter, for baking dish
1 pound large elbow macaroni (or curly pasta, such as Cavatappi)
Directions:
1. Sauce: In a large, deep skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions, and cook until they begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add lamb, salt, cinnamon, pepper, and nutmeg. Cook, breaking lamb into pieces, until it is no longer pink. Add wine, and cook until liquid is almost evaporated. Stir in tomato paste, bay leaves, and 2 cups water. Cover, and let simmer 30 minutes, skimming the fat occasionally. Remove from heat, and set aside, covered.
2. Béchamel: In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. When butter is bubbling, add flour and baking powder. Cook, stirring constantly with a wire whisk, for 1 minute. While whisking, slowly pour in milk. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick. Remove pan from heat, and stir in Parmesan, salt, black pepper, nutmeg, and cayenne pepper. Set aside, covered, until ready to assemble.
3. Assemble: Preheat oven to 375º. Butter a 9x13-inch. ovenproof baking dish; set aside. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add pasta; cook until very al dente, 2 to 3 minutes less than the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer to a colander; drain well. Stir noodles into meat mixture. Pour meat-and-pasta mixture into prepared pan. Spread béchamel over the mixture and bake until top is set and golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes before serving.
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