Total time: 1 hour, 45 minutes
Note: Adapted from a recipe from Anne-Marie Olympios. Kefalotiri cheese can be purchased at Greek markets.
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
1. Cook the pasta in boiling salted water about 11 minutes or until al dente. Drain, place in a large bowl and let cool slightly.
2. In a bowl, lightly beat the whites of the eggs with a fork (save the yolks for the bechamel sauce) and add the cheese. Stir into the pasta.
3. Melt the butter in a large heavy skillet and saute the onion until golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the ground meat and cook 5 minutes, until browned, stirring occasionally.
4. Add tomatoes, wine, cinnamon, cloves and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and simmer 15 minutes. Remove the cover and continue to simmer until the juices are reduced, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the meat sauce from the heat and let stand while preparing the bechamel sauce.
After the sauce cools a bit, spoon off any excess fat.
Bechamel sauce and assembly
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat one-half cup butter until melted. Whisk in the flour, nutmeg and salt until blended. Cook, stirring 1 minute. Stir in the milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute.
2. Add the cheese. Heat and stir just until cheese is melted.
3. Blend a little of the heated sauce into the 4 egg yolks and return all to the saucepan. Heat and stir until the sauce thickens slightly and is almost at a simmer. Do not boil.
4. Generously butter a 12-by-2-inch-deep round baking pan or a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish. Heat the oven to 375 degrees.
5. Add the pasta and spread in an even layer, then spread the cooled meat sauce over pasta. Spoon the bechamel sauce over the meat in an even layer.
6. Sprinkle bread crumbs over the sauce and drizzle two tablespoons melted butter over the top.
7. Bake 20 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue to bake 20 to 30 minutes until golden brown.
8. Cool slightly, cut into square pieces and serve.
Servings: 8 to 10
Each of 10 servings: 537 calories; 28 grams protein; 38 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams fiber; 30 grams fat; 17 grams saturated fat; 140 mg. cholesterol; 1,027 mg. sodium.
