Pastitsio

Based on this recipe. 

I hope this is mostly traditional.

Ingredients

Béchamel sauce:

• 1/4 c. butter
• 1/3 c. flour
• 2 1/2 c. heated milk, divided
• 1/8 t. ground nutmeg
• sea salt and fresh ground pepper
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 c. Greek yogurt
• 1/4 c. feta

Meat sauce:

• 1 T. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 medium onion, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• sea salt
• 2 celery stalks, minced
• 1 large carrot, minced
• 1/4 t. ground cinnamon
• 1/8 t. ground allspice
• 3 T.. tomato paste
• 7.25 oz. can diced tomatoes (I used a 12.3 oz. bottle of cherry tomato sauce b/c that’s what I had.)
• 1/4 c. red wine

Pasta:

• 1/2 lb. rigatoni or penne pasta
• 1 t. butter
• 1/2 c. feta

Additional:

• 1/2 c. shredded mozzarella

Instructions

1. Warm/scald 2/12 cups of milk in a sauce pan.
2. Meanwhile, in a heavy saucepan over medium/medium-low heat, melt the butter. Add the flour and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring constantly, until it gets golden/toasty. Slowly add heated milk, whisking constantly. Add the nutmeg, season with salt and pepper, and remove from the heat and let cool for 10 minutes. Beat the eggs until frothy add them and the Greek yogurt to the sauce. Stir in the cheese.
3. To make the meat filling, heat large skillet over medium-high heat, add the olive oil. Add the beef. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, breaking it up with a wooden spatula, until brown. Drain off the fat  if needed and return the skillet and beef to the heat. Add the onions and garlic and season with salt. Cook for 5 minutes, until the onion is translucent. Add the celery and carrots. Cook for 5 minutes more.
4. Add the cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and tomato paste. Cook for 3 minutes more. Tip: if you feel like your sauce is too thick, add some of the pasta water. Stir in the tomatoes and red wine. Cover the skillet, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes.
5. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
6. While the meat filling cooks, cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and return the pasta to the pot. Add the butter, 1/2  cup of feta , and 1 cup of the béchamel. Stir to combine. Transfer the pasta to a large baking/casserole/lasagna pan (9×13- inch or around there), spreading it in an even layer. Spread the meat sauce in an even layer over the pasta.
7. Top with the remaining béchamel and sprinkle with a bit of mozzarella. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven and let it stand for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Tip: If you find the pasta sauce too thick, add some of the pasta water to thin it out.

Yield: 4