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Skillet Pastitsio

Every Greek cookbook has a recipe for pastitsio, a layered casserole consisting of ground meat, tomato sauce, pasta, a creamy béchamel, and a sprinkling of cheese. When well prepared, it is comfort food at its best.
We began our pastitsio recipe by cooking ground lamb and draining the excess fat before adding the other ingredients, to prevent a greasy result. For the spices for our pastitsio recipe, we settled on a simple combination of cinnamon, oregano, and nutmeg. We turned to tomato paste, which provided the perfect backbone of flavor and helped thicken the meat sauce slightly and rounded out the flavors.
Smaller elbow macaroni allowed multi-flavored bites with every spoonful. In lieu of preparing the béchamel sauce separately, we simply finished the dish with a quick replication: more heavy cream thickened with cornstarch.
Servings: 4
Author: America's Test Kitchen

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground lamb
  • 1 medium minced onion
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ⅛ teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
  • 6 medium garlic cloves minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano leaves
  • 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • salt
  • 8 ounces elbow macaroni about 2 cups
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 2 ounces grated Pecorino Romano cheese 1 cup
  • ground black pepper

Instructions

  • Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 475 degrees.

Brown the meat:

  • Cook the lamb in a 12-inch ovensafe nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, breaking apart the meat, until no longer pink and the fat has rendered, 3 to 5 minutes.
  • Transfer the lamb to a strainer set over a medium bowl and let drain, reserving 1 tablespoon of the fat.

Cook the aromatics:

  • Add the reserved tablespoon of fat to the skillet and return to medium heat until shimmering.
  • Add the onion, cinnamon, and nutmeg and cook, stirring often, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes.
  • Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, and oregano and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Cook the pasta:

  • Stir in the broth, 1/2 cup of the cream, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, then add the pasta and drained lamb.
  • Increase the heat to high and cook at a vigorous simmer, stirring often, until the pasta is tender, 9 to 12 minutes.

Finish in the oven and serve:

  • Whisk the remaining 1/2 cup cream and cornstarch together in a small bowl, then stir into the skillet and continue to simmer until slightly thickened, about 1 minute.
  • Off the heat, stir in 1/2 cup of the Pecorino and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup Pecorino over the top and bake until lightly browned, 5 to 10 minutes.
  • Serve.

Notes

  • Ground lamb is traditional in this dish and we like the flavor, but you can substitute 90 percent lean ground beef if you prefer. If using 90 percent lean ground beef, do not drain the meat.
  • You can substitute small shells (about 2 1/2 cups) for the macaroni.