Pastitsio

This recipe is from Amy Sedaris' book: "I Like You, Hospitality Under the Influence". I was given this book as a gift for my birthday...it's hilarious...but full of many great, legitimate recipes. This is one of my absolute favorites!

• Ready In: 1 hr 15 mins
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• Macaroni

• 1 (16 ounce) package ziti pasta
• 5  tablespoons butter
• 3⁄4 cup parmesan cheese or 3⁄4 cup  kefalotiri
• 1⁄4 teaspoon nutmeg
•  salt and pepper
• 3  eggs, lightly beaten

• Meat Sauce

• 1 -1 1⁄2 lb ground beef
• 1  onion, chopped
• 1  crushed garlic clove
• 3  tablespoons olive oil
• 1  can tomato paste, small
• 1⁄2 cup red wine
• 8  ounces beef broth or 8  ounces  stock
• 2  tablespoons parsley
• 1⁄2 teaspoon sugar
•  salt and pepper

• Cream Sauce

• 1⁄3 cup butter
• 1⁄2 cup flour
• 3  cups milk
• 1⁄4 teaspoon nutmeg
•  salt and pepper
• 1  egg

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F
2. In a large pot, boil and drain your ziti, return to pot. Melt butter. Pour over ziti and toss. Add 1/2 cup of the cheese, the nutmeg, salt and pepper. Save a little of the cheese to sprinkle over the top before baking. Toss again and set aside. Let it cool a little before adding the eggs. Toss well.
3. To make meat sauce, brown meat in a frying pan until almost fully cooked. Drain off the fat and set the meat aside. Fry onion and garlic in oil. Add meat and remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
4. To make the cream sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour and cook until smooth. Add milk all at once and bring to a boil, stiring constantly. Add nutmeg, salt and pepper. Let it cool, then stir in th beaten egg.
5. Add 1/2 cup of this cream sauce to the meat sauce and mix.
6. To assemble, use a 13x9x3 inch oven dish, buttered. Spoon 1/2 of the macaroni evenly on the bottom, then top with the meat sauce. Cover that layer with remaining macaroni. Pour on cream sauce and spread over the entire top. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and bake until a little brown, about 45 minutes.