Pastichio

This is one of my favorite Greek foods. I am going to write you the recipe but you should try it from my mother's hands :)

Ingredients:

For the meat sauce: 

200 grams ground lamb (or ground beef)
1 cup chopped onions
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 tomato, chopped with their liquid
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the bechamel:

1/2 cup butter
1 cup flour
4 cups whole milk
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
3 egg yolks
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the pasta:

500 grams pasta, such as ziti or penne
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 egg whites
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

How to cook meat sauce:

Preheat the oven to 375. Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet and add the onions and saute about 5-7 minutes. Add the ground lamb and cook until  browned all the way through. Increase heat to high, pour in the red wine, and allow to simmer until the red wine has cooked out. Stir in the tomato paste, cinnamon, and allspice. Add the tomatoes with their juices, reduce heat, and simmer the sauce for thirty minutes, mixing occasionally.

How to cook bechamel:

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the flour and whisk until smooth, about one minute. Add the milk and continue to cook until the sauce is thick and coats the back of the spoon, about 5 - 8 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the parmesan and egg yolks. Season with salt and pepper.

How to cook pasta:

Cook the noodles until just barely al dente, like 8 minutes. Drain and toss with olive oil. Fold in the egg whites and Parmesan until well mixed.

In a casserole dish with tall sides, layer half of the noodle mixture in the bottom of the dish, covering the bottom completely. Spread the entire amount of meat sauce over the noodle layer. Spread remaining noodles over the meat sauce. Pour a thick layer of bechamel on top of the noodles, to the top of the casserole dish.

Bake the casserole until the top is puffy and golden brown, about 45 minutes. Kali oreksi!