Pastitsio Pie (oamc)

Total Time: 1 hr 24 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 4 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 200 g penne pasta (mini)
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (or olive oil)
• 1 brown onion (medium finely chopped)
• 2 garlic cloves (minced)
• 500 g lamb and veal mince
• 600 g pasta sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 340 g bechamel sauce (or cabonara sauce)
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese (shredded)

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 200c (180c fan forced).
• 2 grease a 22cm (base diameter) round springform pan and line base and sides with baking paper.
• 3 cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water for 8 minutes or until tender and then drain and return to pan.
• 4 meanwhile heat oil in a large frying pan over moderately high heat and add onion and garlic and cook and stir for 5 minutes.
• 5 add mince, cook, stirring to break up lumps for 3 to 4 minutes or until browned and then stir in pasta sauce, cinnamon and 1/4 cup water and simmer uncovered for 5 to 7 minutes or until sauce thickens and then season to taste and then add to pasta.
• 6 combine bechamel sauce and eggs and add 1/2 cup of the bechamel sauce to pasta mix and stir to combine.
• 7 place pasta mixture in prepared pan and smooth surface and then pour over remaining bechamel sauce and sprinkle with parmesan cheese and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden and then let stand for 20 minutes, slice and serve with a salad if having at time of cooking and just freeze leftovers if any.
• 8 for oamc - to freeze cut into portions, wrap portions individually in a double layer of plastic food wrap and freeze for up to 3 months; thaw in fridge overnight and then reheat on a baking tray covered with foil and bake in an oven preheated to 180c (160c fan forced) for 15 to 20 minutes or until heated.