Lamb Pastitsio

This recipe makes enough for a large family, so after discovering it, I waited to make it until I knew I'd have enough family visiting to eat it all! We love lamb so I knew the meat component would be a success, but I do have a daughter who is not particularly fond of pasta. Even she liked this dish.
It was described as "Greek Lasagna", but it's really not as heavy a dish as I often think lasagna is. We loved the spices in the sauce and I served it with a salad and some crusty, cheesy French bread. 
I had to smile at my photo. The original, on Coconut and Lime, was a piece of art, I swear. How ever did she get everything all layered neatly and cut to perfection? A razor sharp knife? Or perhaps she was alone in the kitchen without hungry people standing next to her. I was fortunate to even take a photo!
Messy slicing, but yummy on the tummy.

Lamb Pastitsio
From Coconut and Lime

Ingredients:

For the sauce:

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 3/4 lb ground lamb

28 oz canned whole tomatoes, coarsely chopped

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon crushed rosemary

4 sprigs worth of thyme leaves

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 tablespoons merlot vinegar

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

For the pasta:

1 lb ziti (or if you can find it, Macaroni Pastitsio no. 2; I ordered it from Amazon)

3 egg whites, beaten

3 tablespoons grated kefalotyri cheese (or Parmesan)

For the béchamel:

5 tablespoons butter

4 cups milk 

1/2 cup flour

3 egg yolks, beaten

3/4 cup grated kefalotyri cheese (or Parmesan)

pinch nutmeg

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Saute the onion and garlic in olive oil until the onion is translucent. Add the lamb and continue to saute until the lamb is fully cooked, breaking up any large pieces as it cooks. Drain off excess fat. Add the remaining sauce ingredients and simmer, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated. Set aside.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta to slightly less than al dente. Allow to cool, then toss with the egg whites and cheese. Set aside.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter for the béchamel. Whisk in the flour and when smooth, add the milk. Whisk to incorporate the flour mixture. Cook on low, whisking occasionally until thickened. Remove from heat. Whisk in remaining ingredients. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350.

Pour half of the pasta into a 2 1/2 quart casserole. Top with half of the meat sauce. Press the mixture down firmly and make sure the sauce goes to each edge. Top with half of remaining pasta then all of the remaining sauce. Arrange the remaining pasta on top of the sauce and then top with the béchamel.

Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the béchamel is golden. Loosely tent with foil and allow to sit 20-30 minutes prior to serving.