Because I was asked several times for the recipe, here it is. If I can do it, ANYONE can. (In fact, I think I volunteered to make it again. Another parent volunteered and didn't come through, so I may be making it again tonight. )

A friend of mine has a husband who is Greek. When she heard what I made she said it was his FAVORITE and she was scared to make it for fear of falling short of his grandmother's version. That indicates that it much be good.

Stay tuned for a SPECIAL (HO HO HO) giveaway coming soon. I will probably post it later tonight when I get the final go from the company.

Pastitsio – Baked Pasta with Meat and Bechamel Topping

½ cup olive oil

2 lbs. ground beef

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1 cup water

1 14 oz can tomato sauce

3 Tbsp chopped parsley

½ tsp ground allspice

1 tsp ground cinnamon

3 Tbls breadcrumbs

1 ½ cups grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

2 lbs. ziti or penne

4 egg whites (reserve the yolks for béchamel sauce

1 stick unsalted butter

For the béchamel sauce:

2 sticks unsalted butter

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 quart milk, warmed

8 egg yolks, beaten lightly

Pinch of ground nutmeg

Use a lasagna pan abt. 12 x 18 x 3.

Begin with the meat filling:

Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan. Add ground beef and cook over medium-high heat until pink color disappears. Add onions and cook until they are translucent.

Add water, tomato sauce, parsley, allspice, cinnamon, salt and pepper and allow sauce to simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. While sauce is simmering, put water on to boil for pasta.

Cook pasta noodles according to package directions and drain well. Rinse noodles in colander under cold water to cool them slightly.

Stir 3 Tbls. breadcrumbs in to meat sauce to absorb excess liquid and remove from heat.

Melt ½ cup butter in pasta pot and return cooked noodles to the pot. Stir in beaten egg whites and 1 cup of grated cheese. Toss lightly, being careful not to break the noodles.

Brush the bottom and sides of the lasagna pan with olive oil. Layer the bottom with half the past noodles and press down so they are somewhat flat. Add the meat filling in an even layer to the pasta. Top with remaining past noodles and flatten top layer as best you can.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees while you prepare the béchamel sauce.

Sauce:

Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Using a whisk, add flour to melted butter, whisking continuously to make a smooth paste. Allow the flour/butter mixture to cook for a minute but do not allow it to brown.

Add warmed milk to mixture in a steady stream, whisking continuously. Simmer over low heat until it thickens but does not boil.

Remove from heat and stir in beaten egg yolks. Add nutmeg. If sauce still needs to thicken, return to heat and cook over very low heat while continuing to stir.

Bechamel is thicker than gravy but not quite as thick as pudding. It should be somewhere in between. One way to tell if it is thick enough is to dip your wooden spoon in the sauce and draw your finger across the back of the spoon. If the sauce holds a visible line then it is thick enough.

Pour the béchamel over the pasta noodles making sure to pour sauce down in to the corners as well. Sprinkle with remaining ½ cup of grated Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 for approximately 45 minutes, or until the top is a nice golden color.