Pastitsio à la Corella

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 500 g pasta (macaroni)
• 3 cup(s) cheese, grated, various, e.g. Gruyère, Parmesan, Pecorino
• 1 kg minced meat, beef or better yet lamb
• 2 onions, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, diced
• 100 ml olive oil
• 250 g tomatoes, chopped
• 4 egg whites, beaten
• Clove powder
• Cinnamon
• Allspice
• Salt
• pepper
• 4 tbsp butter
• 4 tbsp flour
• 500 ml milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup cheese, grated
• Salt
• pepper
• nutmeg

Instructions

Working time approx. 45 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 1 hour 45 minutes

Heat oil in a pan and brown the ground meat. Add onions, garlic, tomatoes, and seasonings and simmer. Fold half of the beaten egg whites and 1 cup of grated cheese into the ground meat mixture. Cook the macaroni until al dente, drain, and toss with the other two beaten egg whites and 1 cup of cheese. Place half of the macaroni in a baking dish, spread the meat sauce on top, and cover with the remaining macaroni. For the béchamel sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan, sauté the flour, and gradually add the milk, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat, add the eggs, mix well, and stir in the cheese. Pour the sauce over the macaroni and sprinkle with the third cup of cheese. Bake the pastitsio in a preheated oven at 180°C for about 60 minutes until golden brown.