Traditional Style Pastitsio Ragu Recipes

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Toss with butter; add grated Parmesan cheese. Transfer to a greased 13x9-in. baking dish., Preheat oven to 350°. In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat 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., 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., In a small bowl, whisk a small amount of hot mixture into eggs; return all to pan, whisking constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir 2 minutes. Pour over beef mixture. Sprinkle with remaining cheese., Bake, covered, 20 minutes. Bake, uncovered, 30-40 minutes longer or until golden brown.,

Steps:

• For the Meat Sauce:.
• Season the meat with the garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook on a large saucepan over medium heat, occasionally stirring and flipping to prevent too much browning, until the meat's juices have been absorbed. Add chopped onion, parsley, and butter. Brown well.
• Add Ragu Tomato Sauce and sugar. Simmer until thickened, about 15 minutes.
• Strain meat sauce as much as possible. You do NOT want the sauce to be juicy. Set aside.
• For the Macaroni:.
• Bring large pot of water to boil. Once boiling, salt generously to prevent pasta from sticking.
• Add elbows to water, and cook until soft, about 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. (TIP: Be careful not to overcook the pasta at this stage, because it will be cooked a bit more in the oven once the Pastitsio has been assembled.).
• Drain the macaroni well. Put into a large bowl.
• Pour melted butter over the macaroni, and mix. Add the egg whites and cheeses, excluding the 1/4 cup of Parmesan to be saved for the top. Mix.
• To Assemble:.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 13 x 9 x 2.25 inch baking pan (or any pan close to these measurements).
• Layer half the macaroni on the bottom of the pan.
• Spread the meat sauce evenly over the macaroni.
• Layer the remaining half of macaroni over the meat sauce.
• Make the cream sauce *, and pour over all, allowing the sauce to seep through. Sprinkle the saved 1/4 cup of Parmesan over the cream sauce, and sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until top begins to bubble, and cream topping is lightly golden brown.
• *For the Cream Sauce:.
• Melt butter in saucepan. Add the flour. Blending with a wire whisk, simmer for 3 minutes. Do NOT brown. Add the milk,constantly whipping briskly. Simmer until the sauce is creamy, smooth, and thick.
• In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks. Add the hot cream sauce to the egg yolks, and beat constantly until well blended.

Steps:

• For the sauce, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large pot. Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes. Add the beef and lamb, and saute over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until it's no longer pink, crumbling it with the back of wooden spoon. Drain off any excess liquid, add the wine, and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the garlic, cinnamon, oregano, thyme, and cayenne, and continue cooking over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 40 to 45 minutes. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• For the bechamel, heat the milk and cream together in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until simmering. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Add the flour and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly for 2 minutes. Pour the warm milk and cream mixture into the butter and flour mixture, whisking constantly. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes, until smooth and thick. Add the nutmeg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Stir in 3/4 cup of Parmesan cheese, 1/2 cup of the tomato and meat sauce, and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Stir in the eggs and yogurt and set aside.
• Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water until al dente. Don't over-cook because the pasta will later be baked. Drain and set aside.
• Add the pasta to the meat and tomato sauce, and pour the mixture into a baking dish. Spread the bechamel evenly to cover the pasta and sprinkle with the remaining 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Bake for 1 hour, until golden brown and bubbly. Set aside for 10 minutes and serve hot.

Steps:

• Cook macaroni according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain. Stir in the tomato sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt, oregano, pepper and, if desired, cinnamon; heat through., Drain macaroni; place half of macaroni in a greased 9-in. square baking pan. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup cheese. Layer with meat mixture and remaining macaroni. Set aside., Preheat oven to 350°. In a small saucepan, melt butter; stir in flour and remaining salt until smooth. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 2 minutes or until thickened., Remove from the heat. Stir a small amount of the hot mixture into egg; return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in remaining cheese. Pour sauce over macaroni., Bake, uncovered, 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.