Pastitsio

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbminced beef
• 14 ozbucatini
• 1onion, finely chopped
• 3 clovegarlic, crushed
• 1 1/8 lbpassata
• 2 tbsptomato purée
• 1 tspground cinnamon
• 1/2 tspground allspice
• 2bay leaves
• 3 1/2 ozunsalted butter
• 3 1/2 ozplain flour
• 1 quartwhole milk, warmed
• 5 1/4 ozkefalotyri cheese, finely grated
• 2eggs, beaten
• 1/4 tspnutmeg, freshly grated
• 3 tbspextra virgin olive oil
• 2 tspsea salt

Method

1. 1

   Heat the olive oil in a wide pan and brown the minced beef hard, breaking it up only once it has taken colour on the underside.

2. 2

   Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft, then stir in the passata, tomato purée, cinnamon, allspice, bay leaves and salt. Simmer until thick enough that a spoon leaves a trail.

3. 3

   Cook the bucatini in well-salted water for two minutes less than the packet says, drain it and toss it with a spoonful of the meat sauce so it does not clump.

4. 4

   Melt the butter, stir in the flour and cook the paste for a minute, then add the warmed milk a splash at a time, whisking smooth before each addition. Simmer until it coats the back of a spoon thickly, then season with the nutmeg.

5. 5

   Take the béchamel off the heat, let it cool for a few minutes, then beat in the eggs and two thirds of the grated cheese.

6. 6

   Heat the oven to 350°F. Spread half the pasta in a deep dish, then the meat sauce, then the rest of the pasta, and pour the béchamel over the top. Scatter with the last of the cheese and bake until set and deeply golden.