Greek Baked Pasta

  • Recipe by Grace Parisi

The moist and fragrant casserole pastitsio combines béchamel (a sauce of butter, flour and milk), pasta, ground lamb, tomato sauce, cheese, cinnamon and nutmeg. Instead of béchamel, Grace Parisi stirs a ricotta mixture into the pasta before baking it.

Pairing Suggestion

Blends from the Italian grape Refosco and the Greek Mavrodaphne are fabulous with this Greek Baked Pasta.

Greek Baked Pasta

  • ACTIVE: 25 MIN
  • TOTAL TIME: 45 MIN
  • SERVINGS: 6
  • FAST
  • MAKE-AHEAD
  • STAFF-FAVORITE

Ingredients

  1. 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  2. 1 1/2 pounds lean ground lamb
  3. 1 onion, finely chopped
  4. 1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
  5. 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  6. Pinch of ground cloves
  7. Salt and freshly ground pepper
  8. 3 cups jarred marinara sauce
  9. 1 pound ziti or penne
  10. 3 cups fresh ricotta (1 1/2 pounds)
  11. 4 large egg yolks
  12. 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  13. 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add the lamb, onion, oregano, cinnamon, cloves and a generous pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook over high heat, stirring frequently, until the lamb is no longer pink and any liquid has evaporated, about 8 minutes. Add the marinara sauce and bring to a boil. Boil over high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has reduced slightly, about 5 minutes.
  2. Cook the pasta until barely al dente; drain and return to the pot. Meanwhile, in a blender, blend 2 cups of the ricotta with the yolks, nutmeg and 1/2 cup of the Parmigiano-Reggiano until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Pulse in the remaining ricotta.
  3. Add the lamb ragů to the pasta and toss. Transfer the pasta to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Pour the ricotta mixture on top and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano. Bake in the center of the oven for about 20 minutes, until heated through. Turn the broiler on and broil until the top is golden brown. Let stand for a few minutes before serving.

Make Ahead

The baked pasta can be covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Serve hot.