Pastitsio Recipe

Heat 4 tablespoons oil in a heavy large pot over medium high heat. Add onions and garlic and sauté about 8 minutes. Add beef and sauté until beef begins to brown, breaking up large clumps, about 8 minutes. Mix in oregano, salt and pepper. Add tomatoes and their juice, broth and tomato paste and stir to blend well. Reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer 20 minutes.

Mix in cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and cloves and simmer 1 minute longer.

Season to taste with salt and pepper, remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Stir in eggs.

Brush a 13 X 9 X 2 inch baking pan with 1 1/2 tablespoons oil. Cook pasta in pot of boiling salted water until tender but not quite cooked.

Drain, return to pot add 3 tablespoons oil, 1 cup Parmesan and toss.

In prepared baking pan layer half the pasta, half the meat sauce, 1/2 cup Parmesan and half the lukewarm Béchamel Sauce. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup Parmesan. (Can be assembled to this point 1 day in advance. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator. Remove plastic wrap before baking.)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cover pastitsio with aluminum foil and bake 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake until heated through and golden on top, about 25 minutes longer. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

Bechamel Sauce:

Whisk 1/2 cup milk and egg yolks in a small bowl. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium high heat, add flour and whisk until smooth and bubbling, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in 3 1/2 cups milk, salt, pepper, nutmeg and allspice. Bring sauce to a simmer, whisking often. Reduce heat to low and simmer until sauce is thick, whisking often, about 8 minutes. Whisk yolk mixture and Parmesan into sauce, and continue to simmer 2 minutes, whisking often. Season with salt and pepper to taste.