Savory casserole featuring spiced beef, tubular pasta, and creamy béchamel, baked to a golden finish.
# What You'll Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 14 oz bucatini or penne pasta
02 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
03 - 2 large eggs, beaten
04 - 1/2 cup grated kefalotyri or Parmesan cheese
→ Beef Sauce
05 - 2 tbsp olive oil
06 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
07 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
08 - 1.1 lb ground beef
09 - 2 tbsp tomato paste
10 - 14 oz canned crushed tomatoes
11 - 1/3 cup red wine
12 - 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
13 - 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
14 - 1 bay leaf
15 - Salt and pepper, to taste
→ Béchamel Sauce
16 - 4 tbsp unsalted butter
17 - 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
18 - 3 1/3 cups whole milk, warmed
19 - 2 large eggs
20 - 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
21 - 1/2 cup grated kefalotyri or Parmesan cheese
22 - Salt and white pepper, to taste
# Directions:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
02 - Boil salted water and cook pasta until just al dente. Drain and return to pot. Stir in butter, beaten eggs, and grated cheese. Set aside.
03 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté onion until softened, about 5 minutes, then add garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add ground beef, breaking it up, and cook until browned.
04 - Stir in tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add crushed tomatoes, red wine, cinnamon, nutmeg, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Simmer uncovered for 20–25 minutes until thickened, stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaf.
05 - Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 1–2 minutes. Gradually whisk in warm milk until smooth. Simmer for 5–6 minutes until thickened.
06 - Remove sauce from heat. Whisk eggs in a bowl. Temper eggs by slowly adding a ladle of hot béchamel while whisking, then return mixture to saucepan. Stir in nutmeg, grated cheese, salt, and white pepper.
07 - Spread half of the pasta evenly in the baking dish. Layer all of the beef sauce over the pasta. Top with remaining pasta. Pour béchamel sauce over the top and smooth evenly.
08 - Bake for 40–45 minutes until the top is golden brown and set. Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
