Greek Pastitsio Recipe

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Cook the pasta. Fill a large pot with water and set it over medium-high heat, and bring to a boil. Add the pasta, salt the water like the sea, and add a drizzle of oilve oil. Cook, according to package instructions, to al dante.

Drain and dress. Set a colander in the sink, and drain the pasta. Once drained, add it back to the pan and while still hot, drizzle pasta with a little extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle grated Parmesan. Toss to combine. transfer pasta to 9 x 13-inch baking dish.

Place the pasta. Place the pasta in the 9x13 baking dish taking care to place most of the noodles facing the same direction so when you slice into it, you can see the holes in the noodles.

Make the meat sauce. Set a large skillet over medium-high heat and add enough olive oil to coat the bottom. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the onions. Saute onions until just golden, then add lean beef and garlic. Season with salt. Cook until meat is fully browned, stirring regularly and breaking up the meat with your wooden spoon, about 8 to 10 minutes. Carefully drain any excess liquid and return pan to heat. Add wine, crushed tomato, bay leaves, spices, and a pinch of sugar. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil for 5 minutes, then lower heat and let simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Taste and adjust salt to your liking. You should have a thick sauce.

While the meat sauce cooks, prepare the bechamel. Set a large, high-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil. Once the oil begins to shimmer, stir in flour, salt, and pepper. Cook until the flour is golden and toasted. Slowly pour in the warm milk, whisking continuously. Reduce heat to medium, and continue cooking, while stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes, until the bechamel is smooth and thick. Stir in nutmeg.

Thicken the bechamel. In a small bowl, add two eggs and whisk briefly. Slowly whisk a ladle of the milk and flour mixture into the eggs. Then whisk the egg mixture into the pan with the remaining milk and flour mixture. Continue to whisk the mixture while bringing it to a gentle boil for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat. The sauce should thicken more as it cools, you should have a creamy, thick, and smooth bechamel sauce. Taste and add more salt and pepper to your liking.

Assemble the pastitsio. Top the cooked pasta with the meat sauce; smooth to fully cover the pasta. Now top the meat sauce with the bechamel. Smooth out the sauce to cover the meat sauce evenly and completely.

Bake. Place the baking dish in the oven for 1 hour until golden brown. Remove from heat and set aside for 10 minutes before serving. Cut into square pieces and serve.