Pastitsio

SERVES 4-6 PREP AND COOK TIME 1 HOUR 10 MINUTES

375g macaroni pasta 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 medium (300g) onions, chopped 1 large (500g) eggplant, peeled, cut into 2cm cubes 2 cloves garlic, chopped 500g lamb mince 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg ¼ cup (70g) tomato paste ½ cup (125ml) red wine 400g can diced or crushed tomatoes 2 teaspoons sugar 60g butter, chopped ¼ cup (35g) plain flour 3 cups (750ml) milk 2 eggs, beaten lightly ½ cup (40g) freshly grated parmesan 1 Cook macaroni in a large pan of boiling well-salted water until just tender; drain. 2 Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Cook the onion, eggplant and garlic for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and fragrant. 3 Increase the temperature to high. Add the mince; cook, stirring, until browned, breaking up any lumps with a wooden spoon. Add the cinnamon and nutmeg; cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

Stir in the tomato paste; cook for a further 1 minute. Add the wine; bring to the boil. Stir in tomatoes and sugar. Simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the liquid has reduced. The mixture should be quite dry and very rich and fragrant. Season to taste. 4 To make the béchamel sauce, in a large saucepan melt the butter over a medium heat; stir in the flour. Stir for 1 minute or until frothy. Gradually stir in the milk; cook, stirring, until sauce boils and thickens. Season to taste. Remove from the heat; stir in the eggs. 5 To assemble, place the macaroni over the base of a 20cm x 30cm ovenproof dish. Spread the lamb mixture over the top, then the béchamel sauce. Sprinkle the top with parmesan. 6 Bake pastitsio for 30 minutes or until the top is golden and bubbling. Serve with salad, if desired. Suitable to freeze. Not suitable to microwave.