It’s not often I can stump Joey with a recipe.
He’s the king of the spice cabinet and my go to when I know a recipe needs “something,” but I can’t quite put my finger on it.
So when I managed to completely confuse him this week, I was a little proud of myself. Well, I was actually proud of TV chef Ina Garten, but who’s counting?
The dish I put in front of my husband? A delicious, tomato-y pasta. The secret ingredient? Cinnamon.
Now, I know that sounds insane, but trust me when I say it gave this dish a deep, fall-like flavor profile that made it tough not to want seconds, and it is definitely worth a try, although I will warn you this is not a quick recipe. Be ready to have a couple hours to blow on creating this amazing dish.
While this week’s recipe is Garten’s creation, I found it on the blog “Vodka and Biscuits.” You can find the original post at http://www.vodkaandbiscuits.com/2016/10/07/ina-gartens-pastitsio/. I added extra garlic, oregano and thyme and used pork in my version.
Pastitsio
Ingredients
Meat Sauce Ingredients
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound pork
- 1/2 cup dry red wine I used pinot noir
- 6 to 8 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons oregano
- 2 teaspoons thyme
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 28- ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons pepper
Bechamel Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 1/2 cups milk I used skim
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 1/2 cups grated parmesan divided
- 5.3- ounce container plain fat-free Greek yogurt
- 3/4 pound tubular pasta I used penne
Instructions
- In a large pot or deep skillet, cook the onion, ground beef and pork (crumbling the meat as you go) until the meat is cooked through and the onions are soft. Drain any excess fat from the pan.
- Stir in the wine and saute until it is absorbed into the mixture. Add the garlic, cinnamon, oregano, thyme and cayenne and saute another two minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juices, along with the salt and pepper. Simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring regularly and squishing the tomatoes so that they break down into a sauce.
- After the sauce has been simmering around 15 minutes, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- For the bechamel, start by melting the butter over medium heat in a sauce pan. Once it is melted, stir in the flour and cook for about two minutes. Whisk in the milk and continue stirring constantly, raising the heat to bring the mixture to a low simmer (just below boiling).
- Continue stirring until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Stir in the nutmeg, salt, pepper and 3/4 cup of the grated parmesan. Once the cheese melts, remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the Greek yogurt.
- While your bechamel comes together, boil your pasta according to package directions to al dente. After draining, mix it into the tomato sauce.
- Now it’s time for assembly. In a deep nine-by-13-inch pan, spread the tomato/pasta mixture evenly. Drizzle the bechamel over the top, and then finish off with the rest of the grated parmesan. Bake for about 40 to 45 minutes or until the top is browned and the mixture is bubbly.
- Serve with some crusty bread.
This does take quite awhile to come together, but it makes plenty for a big family meal, and it got rave reviews at our table. It also reheated great for leftovers.
It may have a few surprising ingredients, but it was still a home run for dinner at our house.
Plus, if you have a spices expert, it might be fun to play your own version of “stump the chump.” Even if they lose, they’ll still win with a great meal.
This piece first appeared in print on Sept. 9, 2021.
Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.
