Moroccan-Spiced Pastitsio With Lamb and Feta
"DH and I enjoyed this nice twist on pastitsio last night for dinner. It gave me a good excuse to use up some of my ras-el-hanout spice that I have in abundance. I liked that there was very little prep involved in this recipe. I got it from the March 2011 issue of "Bon Appetit." Prep time does not include resting time."
photo by sheepdoc
- Ready In:
- 1hr 35mins
- Ingredients:
- 17
- Serves:
-
10
ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1⁄4 cups chopped red onions
- 2 large garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 lb ground lamb
- 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
- 2 tablespoons dried mint
- 1 1⁄2 tablespoons ras el hanout spice mix
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 3 teaspoons ground cumin, divided
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 cups whole milk, divided
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided (1 stick)
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 large eggs, separated
- 6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
- 1 lb penne rigate
- 1⁄2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, divided
directions
- Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; saute until onion softens, about 5 minutes.
- Add lamb; cook until brown, breaking into small pieces, about 8 minutes.
- Stir in tomatoes with juice, mint, ras-el-hanout, tomato paste, 2 1/2 tsp cumin, and cinnamon. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until lamb mixture is thick, stirring often, 15 to 18 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Meanwhile, bring 2 cups milk to simmer in medium saucepan. Remove from heat; cover to keep warm. Melt 6 Tb butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add flour; whisk until smooth. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook until roux is pale golden, whisking often, 3 to 4 minutes. Gradually add warm milk to roux, whisking until sauce is smooth.
- Whisk 1 cup milk and 3 egg yolks in medium bowl; whisk into sauce. Whisk in feta and 1/2 tsp cumin. Bring sauce to boil, whisking often. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer until slightly thickened, mashing with potato masher to break up cheese, about 5 minutes. Season sauce with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill. Rewarm over low heat, whisking often, before using.
- Preheat oven to 400°F Butter deep 14-cup (we used 9x13") baking dish. Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain pasta; return to same pot. Mix 2 Tb butter into pasta. Add egg whites and 1/4 cup Parmesan; stir to blend.
- Spread 4 cups pasta in dish. Spread lamb mixture over. Top with remaining pasta. Spoon sauce over; sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan. Place dish on rimmed baking sheet. Bake pastitsio until heated through, about 40 minutes. Let stand 5-10 minutes.
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Reviews
-
This was great. I was kind of expecting Moroccan chili-mac but this was way better. I didn't have dried mint so used fresh. Made 1/2 recipe in 11x7 pan. Made meat mixture and cheese sauce the night before and reheated everything before assembly, cooked for 40 minutes. Made for ZWT9.
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
I work full-time as a School Psychologist in Michigan. Besides the kids, one of the best aspects of the job is summer vacation, when I can concentrate on doing more of the things that I like to do---like look up recipes and play games on Recipezaar!!!
I married my wonderful and handsome husband, Sean, in August 2007. He is becoming a wonderful gardender and tends to both our veggie and herb gardens. We really enjoy cooking with our own fresh ingredients. We most often cook together, so my reviews typically reflect our joint opinions. He's the better cook, so I pick up a lot of my techniques from him.
My other interests include reading (now that I have time), Irish dancing (I've taken a class for the last several years), "appreciating" wine (I use the term very loosely), and listening to and going to see Irish bands (I love the Pogues).
I also enjoy travelling, especially around Western Europe, where I have been multiple times. One of my favorite places is Italy, and Sean and I had a great time on our honeymoon eating, drinking, and sightseeing in the Cinque Terre and in Tuscany. This July 2009, we expanded our horizons to Eastern Europe and visited the Czech Republic, Slovenia, and Croatia. Two of my favorite dishes on the trip were Croatian: fish brodet and Hvarska gregada. I am looking forward to trying my hand at making them at home as I see that someone on Zaar, who is Croatian, posted recipes for both!
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