Pastistio

Adapted from Sheryl Rosen's recipe
Serving Size: 6-8

1 pound ground beef or lamb
1 small onion diced fine
2 tablespoons minced garlic (3 cloves)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon oregano
1 pinch mint leaves
freshly ground black pepper
several nutmeg gratings
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 cup tomato sauce
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
3 eggs beaten individually
1/2 pound ziti pasta (without lines)
1 cup Parmesan (or Romano) cheese, finely shredded or grated

In a large pot, start heating salted water for pasta.

In a large skillet, cook the onion in a bit of olive oil until
translucent. Add ground meat and cook through, breaking the meat into
small bits. Drain fat. Add garlic and other seasonings. Add wine and
tomato sauce. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary. Simmer the
meat mixture until the sauce is reduced and the mixture very thick,
about 5 minutes. Pat the meat mixture evenly in the bottom of a 9 inch
square pan. (A shallow 2 quart corningware casserole works well for
me.)

In a one quart saucepan, melt the butter and add the flour. Cook about
3 minutes over very low heat, stirring constantly, so the flour cooks
but does not brown. Whisk in the milk and cook over low heat until
thickened, stirring constantly. When thick like custard, whisk in one
egg at a time, making sure all is incorporated before adding next egg.
Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. (The timing here
is tricky: You want the pasta to be finished cooking about a minute
after the custard comes off the stove.)

Remove custard from heat and stir in most of the parmesan cheese,
setting aside 1 tablespoon of cheese to sprinkle on top. Drain pasta
and spread evenly over the meat. Spread custard evenly over the pasta.
Top with reserved parmesan cheese and bake in a hot (375 degree) oven
for about 35 minutes, until the top is golden brown and begins to puff.
Let sit 10 minutes before serving.


Bob