MLA Australian Lamb Greek Pastitsio
- Prep 30Min
- Cook 25Min
- Style
- Meat Lamb
- Cut Shoulder
- Serves 8
Looking for a delicious natural lamb recipe? Try out this simple, yet tasty recipe for Pastitsio from the experts at Australian Lamb!
Ingredients
Lamb Mixture
Ingredients:
2 pounds Australian
ground lamb
10 ounces dried macaroni
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 white onion, peeled and finely diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 cloves
red wine for cooking
14 ounce can chopped tomatoes
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons dried breadcrumbs
Béchamel Sauce
Ingredients:
2½ cups whole
milk
3 cloves
1 bay leaf
6 black peppercorns
4 ounces butter
½ cup plain flour
½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Preparation
Method:
Preheat
oven to 350°F. Cook pasta according to packet directions until al dente and drain.
Heat olive oil in a large frying pan on medium to high heat. Add onion and garlic.
Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, without coloring the garlic. Add the ground lamb, crushing
any lumps with a spoon. Cook until lamb is browned.
Add the bay leaves, cinnamon, cloves and red wine. Reduce heat to a simmer, add
tomatoes and stir through. Cook 25 minutes; season with salt and pepper.
Add the pasta to the pan and mix through the meat sauce.
To prepare the béchamel sauce, combine milk, cloves, bay leaf and peppercorns in
a saucepan. Place on low to medium heat, making sure milk slowly comes to the boil
infusing all the flavors. Remove from the heat immediately.
In another saucepan take butter and melt over a low heat. Once melted, add flour
and stir together with a wooden spoon. Continue to cook for 5 minutes, stirring
continuously to avoid browning.
Strain the infused milk and gradually add to butter and flour mix. Make sure to
continually stir to eliminate all lumps. Stir until the sauce thickens, approximately
4-5 minutes. Stir in the cheese.
In an ovenproof rectangle dish, spread pasta and meat sauce evenly, pressing down
to make it flat. Pour the prepared béchamel over the pasta and sprinkle with breadcrumbs.
Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and bubbling.
