Minced meat and pumpkin casserole

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 2 onions
• 3 tbsp butter
• 400 g minced meat, mixed
• salt and pepper
• 1 tsp oregano, dried
• 1 can of tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, white
• 1 pinch(s) of sugar
• Paprika powder, sweet
• 400 g pasta
• ½ pumpkin(s), (Hokkaido pumpkin), about 500 g
• 1 tbsp flour
• 100 ml vegetable stock
• 300 ml milk
• 200 g cheese, grated
• 1 egg yolk

Instructions

Working time approx. 40 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 20 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour

Peel and finely dice the onions. Sauté in a tablespoon of hot butter until translucent. Add the minced meat, fry until crumbly, season with salt, pepper, and oregano. Pour in the tomatoes and their juices. Season with salt, pepper, vinegar, sugar, and paprika, and simmer for about 5 minutes until thickened. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in salted water according to the package instructions, then drain. Wash the pumpkin, quarter it, remove the seeds, and peel it into long, thin strips using a vegetable peeler. Sauté the pumpkin in batches in 1 tablespoon of hot butter for 1 minute, then season with salt. Heat the remaining butter, stir in the flour, and sweat for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour in the stock and milk, and mix well. Bring to a boil, season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in 50g of cheese, remove 2-3 tablespoons of the sauce, mix with the beaten egg yolk, and return to the sauce and mix well. Do not allow it to boil again. Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan-assisted). Layer the pasta, pumpkin, and mince sauce, then pour the light sauce over everything. Finally, sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top and bake for about 20 minutes.