Pastitcio (Greek Lasagna)

I've never made but have always wanted to.  I decided on this by Chef Michael Symon.  I've been holding this recipe since he was on "The Chew".  I used my deep dish lasagna pan to make it in.  I had to edit and improvise a little; no lamb, fresh oregano or whip cream as I didn't have any of these in my kitchen tonight.

PASTA:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound ziti (I couldn't find long ziti)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup Pecorino Romano cheese (grated)
• Kosher salt (to taste)

MEAT SAUCE:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 pounds lean ground hamburger
• 2 cups onions (peeled, small dice)
• 2 cloves garlic (peeled, minced)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon Greek oregano 
• 3 cups D.O.P. San Marzano tomatoes (crushed by hand)
• Fresh cracked pepper and kosher salt (to taste)

BECHAMEL:

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups 2% milk
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper (to taste)
• 1 and 1/2 cups Pecorino Romano cheese (grated)
• 3 free-range large eggs

For the Pasta: Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Use cooking spray on a baking dish and set aside.  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook ziti 2 minutes less than package instructions indicate. Strain the pasta and remove to a large bowl. While the pasta is still warm, add butter and Pecorino cheese, and toss to combine.

Line the pasta mixture evenly in the bottom of the prepared casserole dish and set aside.

For the Meat Sauce: In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add the ground beef, breaking up into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon as it browns. Season with salt and pepper and cook until deeply browned, about 8-10 minutes. Drain some of the excess fat, stir in the onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste allowing to toast for 1 minute. Add the cinnamon, oregano, and crushed tomatoes and reduce to a simmer. Cook until tomatoes have begun to break down, about 15-20 minutes.

For the Bechamel: In a large saucepan over medium heat, add the butter and allow to melt. Whisk in the flour and allow to toast for 1 minute.

Add the milk and nutmeg, continuously whisking to combine.

Season with salt and pepper and continue to whisk until mixture has thickened slightly, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in the Pecorino cheese until melted. Whisk in the eggs (I tempered my eggs) and set aside.

To Assemble: Pour the meat sauce on top of the pasta, and using a rubber spatula to spread into an even layer.

Pour the bechamel over the meat sauce and transfer to the oven.

Bake until the top is golden brown and puffy, about 45 minutes.  I did mine an hour and took it out as it was.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes before serving.  I let mine rest for a half hour.  I would have preferred to put it away and re-heat the next day, but this was a last minute dinner tonight...

Honestly, my son doesn't love Moussaka or Lasagna and tonight wasn't different.  He did have seconds after shakes of hot sauce but mentioned it was "plain" before that.  I, on the other hand loved this dish.

It was exactly like my Moussaka I make but with noodles.  I would have rather had eggplant, but nevertheless, this was heavenly.  Mmmmm, it was perfect as far as I was concerned, especially the bechamel sauce...  - to each their own... Below is the next day, cold out of the fridge, and set perfectly.