Pastitsio

Ingredients

• 500 g bucatini or pastitsio pasta
• 700 g minced beef
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 400 ml tomato passata
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 150 ml red wine
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 0.5 tsp ground allspice
• 1 bay leaf
• 100 g butter
• 100 g plain flour
• 1 l milk
• 2 egg yolks
• 150 g kefalotyri or parmesan, grated
• 0.25 tsp grated nutmeg
• to taste salt
• to taste black pepper

Steps

1. 1
   Soften the onion in the olive oil over medium heat until translucent, then add the garlic for a further minute.
2. 2
   Raise the heat, add the minced beef and break it up, cooking until no pink remains and the liquid has evaporated.
3. 3
   Pour in the wine and let it bubble away, then stir in the passata, tomato paste, cinnamon, allspice and bay leaf. Season, and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes until thick.
4. 4
   Boil the pasta in well-salted water for two minutes less than the packet states — it finishes cooking in the oven. Drain it and turn it through a little olive oil.
5. 5
   For the bechamel, melt the butter, whisk in the flour and cook it for 2 minutes without letting it colour, then add the milk a little at a time, whisking until smooth and thick.
6. 6
   Off the heat, beat in the nutmeg, half the cheese and the egg yolks. The sauce should be thick enough to hold a ribbon on the whisk.
7. 7
   Spread half the pasta in a deep baking dish, cover it with all of the meat sauce, then the remaining pasta.
8. 8
   Pour the bechamel over the top, level it, and scatter over the rest of the cheese.
9. 9
   Bake at 180°C for 45 minutes, until the top is set and deeply golden.
10. 10
    Rest for at least 20 minutes before cutting. Pastitsio slices cleanly only once it has settled.