Bucatini Pastitsio

Making the Bucatini Pastitsio

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9 baking dish and set aside.
• In a medium skillet, brown ground beef with onion and garlic until beef is no longer pink. Drain excess grease. Add marinara sauce, reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and stir for 1 minute. Slowly add milk, whisking vigorously, until dissolved and there are no lumps. Cook and stir for 5 minutes until thickened.
• Remove from heat and stir in nutmeg, salt, and 2 ounces cheese. Allow to cool 5 minutes, then whisk in the egg yolk quickly. Set aside.
• Cook the bucatini pasta according to package directions, minus 1 minute. Drain and return to the pot. Allow to cool 3 minutes then stir in egg whites.
• To assemble, layer half the pasta in the bottom of the prepared dish, arranging them so they are all going in the same direction (for visual effect). Next layer half of the meat sauce, then half of the béchamel sauce, smoothing each layer.
• Repeat the three layers again: pasta, meat sauce, and béchamel sauce. Top with remaining 6 ounces of Italian cheese.
• Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until crust turns golden.
• Cool for 10 minutes before cutting into servings.