Pastitsio (Greek Lasagna)

Make the meat sauce by adding the olive oil, onion and garlic to a large saute pan and cooking on low heat until translucent. Add the ground beef, breaking it up with a spatula or wooden spoon, and cook until browned. Then add the tomato sauce, wine, thyme, oregano and cinnamon. Season to taste with salt and pepper and cook on low heat for approximately 15 minutes. Add the cooked and drained pasta and stir to combine.

While the beef mixture is cooking, make the bechamel sauce in a separate large pan. Over low heat melt the butter then add the garlic. Cook for a minute on low heat, making sure the garlic does not brown. Then add the flour and whisk together to combine. Add the milk and continue whisking, on medium low heat, until the mixture begins to thicken (about 10 minutes). Whisk in the Parmesan cheese and season to taste. Set aside to cool.

When the bechamel has cooled, stir in the yogurt and eggs. Note that if your bechamel is still a little warm, temper the eggs first by placing them in a small bowl, adding a small amount of bechamel and whisking until combined. Then add the eggs to the large pan of bechamel.

Assemble the dish by placing the beef/pasta mixture into a 9″ x 13″ baking pan and pouring the bechamel over it. Bake in a 350 F oven for approximately 45 minutes or until the top is a light golden brown.

Adapted from Simply Gourmet blog and The Barefoot Contessa.