Pastítsio

Ingredients

• 600 g penne rigate
• salted water
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 700 g lean ground beef
• 0.5 TB ground allspice
• 0.5 TB ground cinnamon
• 0.25 TSP ground clove
• 340 g tomato paste
• 226 g butter
• 226 g flour
• 1 L cold milk
• 237 ml chicken stock
• freshly grated nutmeg
• grated cheese

Method

Heat the oven to 190°C. Pastítsio is a layering|layered casserole where the structure matters as much as the components — each layer must set firmly enough to support what sits above it, so a proper bechamel and a concentrated meat sauce are non-negotiable.

Salt a large pot of water generously and bring it to a rolling boil. Cook the penne rigate until just under al dente — it will finish in the oven, so you're aiming for a slight resistance at the centre of the pasta. Drain, toss with a little oil to prevent sticking, and set aside.

Build the meat sauce next. Sweat the diced onion in oil over medium-high heat until the edges turn translucent and it begins to colour — roughly 4–5 minutes. Add the ground beef and break it into fine pieces as it browns; the surface should caramelize in patches. Once no pink remains, tilt the pan and spoon away excess fat. Add the allspice, cinnamon, and cloves, stirring constantly for 30 seconds to bloom the spices and drive off their raw, dusty notes. Mix the tomato paste with 150 ml water to create a pourable consistency — straight paste will scorch and bitter — then add it to the meat. Simmer for 2–3 minutes to meld the flavours. The sauce should be thick and coat the back of a spoon. Season aggressively with salt and pepper.

For the bechamel, melt the butter over medium heat, add the flour all at once, and whisk continuously for 2–3 minutes until the raw flour taste vanishes and the roux smells faintly nutty. This is your threshold for browning without burning. Remove from heat, add the cold milk in stages whilst whisking hard — the cold milk cools the roux so lumps can't form — then return to medium heat and whisk until it coats a spoon thickly. The sauce will thicken further as it sits. Stir in the stock and a generous pinch of freshly grated nutmeg. Season carefully; the cheese layer will add saltiness.

Spread a thin layer of béchamel across the bottom of a deep casserole dish. Layer half the pasta, all the meat sauce, the remaining pasta, then the rest of the béchamel. Scatter the grated cheese evenly over the top. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes, then remove the foil and bake a further 8–10 minutes until the top colours deeply golden and the edges bubble. Cool for 15 minutes before serving — this sets the layers so they hold their shape when plated.