Easy Pastitsio

Submitted by yogiclarebear

"Adapted slightly from Family Circle. When I made this, I used gluten-free corn pasta. Makes a nice casserole."

 

• Ready In: 45mins
• Ingredients: 14
• Serves: 8

ingredients

• 8 ounces uncooked elbow macaroni
• 1 1⁄2 lbs lean ground beef
• 1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 small green pepper, chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper
• 5 eggs
• 36 ounces bottled reduced-fat alfredo sauce
• 1⁄4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1⁄4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

directions

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat shallow 3-quart casserole with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente, firm but tender. Drain.
3. While pasta is cooking, heat large skillet over high heat. Add oil, onions, green peppers and garlic. Stir for 3-4 minutes. Add beef; cook, breaking up with spoon, until no longer pink, about 3 minutes; drain off any excess fat from skillet. Add tomatoes, cinnamon, salt, and pepper; cook, uncovered, 5 minutes, until liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat.
4. Spread half the pasta over bottom of prepared casserole. Spoon meat mixture evenly over the pasta. Cover the meat with the remaining pasta.
5. Beat eggs in a medium-size bowl until blended. Stir in Alfredo sauce and nutmeg until well blended. Slowly pour mixture evenly over the pasta in the casserole. Sprinkle the top evenly with the grated Parmesan cheese.
6. Bake the casserole in the 375 degrees F oven for 30 minutes or until the mixture is bubbly and the top is golden brown. Let casserole stand 15 minutes.