PASTITSIO (Greek Pasta Dish)

On a busy week day evening, after umpteen parental tasks, my go to meal for a quick dinner always involves pasta. It's quick, easy and extremely versatile.. and mostly importantly, my children love it! So overjoyed was I to come across this popular little Greek number. This dish, rather than throw together some cheese and pasta sauce, takes your pasta combinations to another culinary level. It's warm, inviting and even decadently presentable if you do happen to have the odd auntie or uncle drop in for a visit. So enjoyed by children and adults, this is definitely a dish not to be missed, be adventurous, go a bit Greek tonight! OPAAA!!!

Ingredients

● 2-1/2 cups uncooked penne pasta

● 2 tablespoons butter, melted ● 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (or cheese of choice) ● 1-1/2 pounds ground beef/chicken

● 1 medium onion, chopped

● 2 garlic cloves, minced

● 1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce ● 1/2 teaspoon salt

● 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon ● 1 cup Parmesan cheese, divided Bechamel Sauce ● 1/2 cup butter, cubed ● 2/3 cup all-purpose flour ● 1/2 teaspoon salt

● 1/4 teaspoon pepper ● 4 cups 2% milk

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Toss with butter; add grated Parmesan cheese. Transfer to a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. 2. Preheat oven to 350°. In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat for 8-10 minutes or until beef is no longer pink, breaking beef into crumbles; drain. Add garlic; cook 2 minutes longer. Stir in tomato sauce, salt and cinnamon; heat through. Spoon over pasta. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese.

3. In a large saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour, salt and pepper until smooth; gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Pour over beef mixture. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

4. Bake, covered, 20 minutes. Bake, uncovered, 30-40 minutes longer or until golden brown.