Enlightened Pastitsio (Greek Pasta Comfort Casserole)

Name: Enlightened Pastitsio (Greek Pasta Comfort Casserole)
Prep time: 50 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 8-10 serving(s)
Ingredients: 1 lb multi-grain penne (I used Barilla plus); 2 lbs lean ground beef (*see note below for vegetarian options); 2 medium onions, chopped; 1/2 cup red wine; 1 1/3 cups good-quality marinara sauce; 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon; 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 3 cups low-fat milk (I used 1%); 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; 3 tablespoons sifted all-purpose flour; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper; 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg; 1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Submitted by Tinat51796

"I found this recipe on a cooking blog called Enlightened Cooking. She credits Everyday Food for the recipe but then she made changes to lighten it. http://enlightenedcooking.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2008-12-02T22%3A47%3A00-06%3A00&max-results=7 I'm saving the recipe here so I don't lose it. If you try it before I do please let me know what you think. I'm totally guessing on the cooking time."

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Ready In:: 1hr 30mins
Ingredients:: 15
Serves:: 8-10

ingredients

Enlightened Filling
1 lb multi-grain penne (I used Barilla plus)
2 lbs lean ground beef (*see note below for vegetarian options)
2 medium onions, chopped
¹⁄₂ cup red wine
1 ¹⁄₃ cups good-quality marinara sauce
1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons dried oregano
¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt
Lighter Parmesan Bechamel
3 cups low-fat milk (I used 1%)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons sifted all-purpose flour
¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt
¹⁄₄ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
¹⁄₈ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¹⁄₄ cup parmesan cheese

directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook pasta in a large pot of salted water for 3 minutes fewer than specified on box (~8 minutes). Drain; set aside.
Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, over medium heat, cook ground beef, breaking apart pieces with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink. Add onions; cook and stir 5 minutes longer. Transfer to a colander; drain fat, and discard. Return beef to pan; add wine. Cook over medium heat until almost all liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes.
Stir in marinara sauce, cinnamon, oregano, salt, and 2 cups water; simmer 15 minutes , stirring occasionally, until thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
To prepare topping, place milk in a 4-cup glass measure. Microwave at HIGH 3 minutes or until hot, stirring after 2 minutes. Melt butter in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add flour, stirring with a whisk, and cook 1 minute or until bubbly, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly with a whisk. Bring to a simmer; cook over low heat 8 minutes or until sauce slightly thickens, stirring frequently. Remove from heat, and stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and nutmeg. Stir in Parmesan.
Add pasta to beef mixture; transfer to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Pour sauce over the top, smoothing with the back of a spoon until level. Bake until browned in spots, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven; let cool 15 minutes before serving. Makes 10 generous servings.

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Reviews

Very good, I had 2lbs of ground lamb that needed used and decided on this recipe. I doubled the meat and sauce portion and froze half for a later use. For the marinara I used a standard sized can of diced tomatoes (14 oz) mixed with a can of tomato paste (not the smallest size, but next size up...just over a cup) (remember I made this part doubled) and upped my oregano, salt, and pepper a bit. Spice-wise, I felt it could use a bit more cinnamon and nutmeg, but otherwise was very good. Aside from the ingredient changes, I followed the directions to the letter and had a wonderful casserole that made my house smell wonderful. It served my husband and our four girls with enough leftovers for four more servings. I won't star this since I changed a couple things, but would probably give it 4.5 if I could :)

TryingTraditional
Great recipe. A nice change for comfort food. I subbed a small can of tomato paste for the marinara. Also, I used ground turkey and where it called to add 2 C of water I subbed 2 C of beef broth to beef up the ground turkey. I will make this one again.

Chohertz

Tweaks

Great recipe. A nice change for comfort food. I subbed a small can of tomato paste for the marinara. Also, I used ground turkey and where it called to add 2 C of water I subbed 2 C of beef broth to beef up the ground turkey. I will make this one again.

Chohertz

RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

Tinat51796

212

Im 40 years old and live with my husband and two year old son in eastern WA. My husband has a 14 year old daughter who lives near Seattle with her Mom. She's here with us during the summer and school holidays. My husband and step daughter are a little picky so sometimes it's hard to get them to try new things. Hubby's more likely to try than she is. I just keep trying. I'm a nurse and work full time in an orthopedic clinic. I've worked there for about 4 1/2 years. I've always loved my job but since I had my baby I find that I'd rather be home more. Plus after working all day I don't always feel like cooking when I get home which means we eat take out more than we should. I found this website a couple months ago and just love it. I spend a lot of my time browsing through all the recipes. <img src=http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/susied214/permanent%20collection/adoptedspring08.jpg border=0 alt=Photobucket /> <img src=http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/susied214/permanent%20collection/IWasAdoptedfall08.jpg border=0 alt=Photobucket /> <img src=http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg271/MrsTeny/Permanent%20Collection/PACSpring09Iwasadopted.jpg alt= />

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