Ingredients: for the Pasta

  • 1 pound thin or thick rigatoni
  • 4 tablespoons Ultra Premium Arbosana Olive Oil
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • sea salt and pepper to taste
  • 3 large eggs, lightly beaten

Ingredients: for the Meat Sauce

  • 2 tablespoons Ultra Premium Arbosana Olive Oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 1/2 pound lean ground lamb
  • 1 cup crushed tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup dry red wine
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • sea salt and fresh pepper to taste

Ingredients: for the Béchamel

  • 1/2 cup Ultra Premium Arbosana Olive Oil
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 cups milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
  2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.
  3. Add rigatoni and cook for 5 to 6 minutes.
  4. Drain thoroughly and allow to cool slightly.
  5. Whisk 4 tablespoons California Arbosana with eggs, Parmesan cheese, pepper, and salt. Pour over rigatoni and set aside.
  6. To make meat sauce heat olive olive oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat.
  7. Saute the onions until soft and transclucent.
  8. Increase heat and add ground beef and lamb and cook until the meat browns.
  9. Add the tomatoes, wine, broth, parsley, oregano, cinnamon, salt and pepper.
  10. Cover and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.
  11. To make the Arbosana béchamel, heat the olive oil in saucepan and stir in flour.
  12. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently for 2 minutes.
  13. Pour in milk all at once and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
  14. Boil gently for 1 minute.
  15. Add the nutmeg, salt, pepper and cool slightly before stirring in beaten egg.
  16. Transfer 1/2 cup of the bechamel to the meat sauce.
  17. To assemble pastitsio, grease a 9×13 inch baking dish with one tablespoon Arbosana Olive Oil.
  18. Spoon half of the prepared rigatoni evenly in the bottom and top with meat sauce.
  19. Top that with remaining rigatoni.
  20. Pour on the remaining béchamel sauce and spread to completely cover rigatoni.
  21. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.
  22. Bake in a preheated oven for 50 minutes or until golden brown.
  23. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting into squares to serve.

Serves 8

Re-posted from the Veronica Foods blog.