Greek Pastitsio

Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins Preparation Time: 40 mins Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 8 ounces bucatini pasta or 8 ounces ziti pasta
• 3 tablespoons melted butter
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon dried mint flakes (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups milk
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/3 cup parmesan cheese

Recipe

• 1 cook macaroni; drain, and return to pan.
• 2 stir in the melted butter, 1/3 cup parmesan cheese, 1/3 cup milk, and the egg; set aside.
• 3 in a a skillet or large saucepan, cook ground beef and onion until meat loses its pinkness and onion is soft; drain excess fat.
• 4 stir in tomato sauce, the 1 teaspoon salt, mint flakes (if used), cinnamon, nutmeg and pepper; set aside.
• 5 in a saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter, then mix in flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
• 6 slowly stir in the 2 cups milk, stirring well after each addition so that no lumps form.
• 7 cook and stir on medium high until cream sauce starts to thicken; stir for one minute more, then remove from heat.
• 8 beat egg in a small bowl, then pour into cream sauce, stirring briskly.
• 9 blend in the 1/3 cup parmesan cheese.
• 10 layer half the pasta mixture in a 11" x 7" (or 2 quart) baking dish.
• 11 spoon the meat mixture evenly on top, then the remaining pasta.
• 12 pour cream sauce over top, to cover completely.
• 13 bake, uncovered, at 350f for about 40 minutes, or until hot and lightly browned.
• 14 let stand for 10 minutes.