- 1 pound dry ziti pasta
- 4 tablespoons Bella Nonnas Ultra Premium EVOO
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- sea salt and pepper to taste
- 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons Bella Nonnas Ultra Premium EVOO
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1/2 pound lean ground lamb
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 cup dry red wine
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- sea salt and fresh pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup Bella Nonnas Ultra Premium EVOO
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups milk
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon Bella Nonnas Ultra Premium EVOO
Cooking Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain thoroughly and allow to cool slightly. Whisk 4 tablespoons Bella Nonnas Ultra Premium EVOO with eggs, Parmesan cheese, pepper, and salt. Pour over ziti and set aside.
To make meat sauce heat 2 tablespoons Bella Nonnas Ultra Premium EVOO in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Saute the onions until soft and transclucent. Increase heat and add ground beef and lamb and cook until the meat browns. Add the tomatoes, wine, broth, parsley, oregano, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.
To make the béchamel , heat the 1/2 cup Bella Nonnas Ultra Premium EVOO in saucepan and stir in flour. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently for 2 minutes. Pour in milk all at once and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil gently for 1 minute. Add the nutmeg, salt, pepper and cool slightly before stirring in beaten egg.
Transfer 1/2 cup of the bechamel to the meat sauce. To assemble pastitsio, grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with one tablespoon Bella Nonnas Ultra Premium EVOO. Spoon half of the prepared ziti evenly in the bottom and top with meat sauce. Top that with remaining ziti. Pour on the remaining béchamel sauce and spread to completely cover ziti. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Bake in a preheated oven for 50 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting into squares to serve.
Cooking Time : 50-60 min
Servings : 8