ROASTED EGGPLANT PASTITSIO

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Roasted Eggplant Pastitsio image

This is one of my favorite fall and winter casseroles. It'll use up all your bowls, pots, and pans, so be ready for it--but you can also break this into steps and make the meat sauce a day ahead. I often double this and freeze one pan. It's my standard family-had-a-new-baby dish to bring to a friend, too.

Provided by FrancesC

Categories     World Cuisine Recipes     European     Greek

Time 2h20m

Yield 12

Number Of Ingredients 24

1 large eggplant, halved lengthwise
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 ½ cups chopped onions
1 pound ground lamb
1 clove garlic, minced
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (14 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
2 eggs
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1 clove garlic, lightly crushed
1 (8 ounce) package crumbled feta cheese
½ teaspoon salt
black pepper to taste
1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg
cooking spray
1 (12 ounce) package penne pasta

Steps:

  • Set oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven's broiler. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil; place eggplant halves on top.
  • Broil eggplant, checking fairly often and rotating the baking sheet as needed, until the skin blackens and starts to char in places, about 15 minutes. Cool until easily handled, about 5 minutes. Peel off skin and coarsely chop flesh.
  • Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions; cook and stir over medium heat until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add lamb and cook, breaking it up into small pieces, until no pink remains, about 5 minutes. Drain grease from the skillet.
  • Stir minced garlic, salt, cumin, oregano, pepper, and cinnamon into the skillet; cook for 1 minute. Stir in chopped eggplant, diced tomatoes, and crushed tomatoes. Bring sauce to a simmer and cook until thickened, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in chopped mint.
  • Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Pour in milk and whisk until smooth. Add crushed garlic clove, increase heat to high, and bring milk to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes more. Remove from heat; discard garlic clove.
  • Whisk eggs in a large heatproof bowl. Pour hot milk mixture in a steady stream into beaten eggs, whisking constantly. Stir in feta cheese, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
  • Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 12 minutes. Drain.
  • Divide pasta between the white sauce and the lamb sauce and mix to combine. Pour the pasta with lamb sauce into the prepared baking dish; spread the pasta with white sauce on top.
  • Bake in the preheated oven until top is golden and pastitsio is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 329.9 calories, Carbohydrate 33.5 g, Cholesterol 77.8 mg, Fat 14.7 g, Fiber 4.3 g, Protein 17 g, SaturatedFat 7.3 g, Sodium 746.5 mg, Sugar 6.7 g

Joy Raj
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I made this recipe for my family and they all loved it. The eggplant was perfectly cooked and the bechamel sauce was creamy and delicious. I will definitely be making this again.


Usman Otho
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This was my first time making pastitsio and it turned out great! The eggplant was delicious and the bechamel sauce was perfect. I will definitely be making this again.


valary asunga
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I followed the recipe exactly and the pastitsio turned out great. The eggplant was roasted perfectly and the bechamel sauce was creamy and flavorful. I would definitely recommend this recipe to anyone.


faisal commando
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This was a great recipe! The eggplant was so tender and flavorful, and the bechamel sauce was perfect. I will definitely be making this again and again.


Sardar Tayyab Khan
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I made this recipe for my family and they all loved it. The eggplant was perfectly cooked and the bechamel sauce was creamy and delicious. I will definitely be making this again.


Rita Refareal
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This was my first time making pastitsio and it turned out great! The eggplant was delicious and the bechamel sauce was perfect. I will definitely be making this again.


Muhammad Ayas
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I followed the recipe exactly and the pastitsio turned out great. The eggplant was roasted perfectly and the bechamel sauce was creamy and flavorful. I would definitely recommend this recipe to anyone.


Attitude King
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This is a great recipe! The eggplant was so tender and flavorful, and the bechamel sauce was perfect. I will definitely be making this again and again.


Tasnimul Hasan Siyam
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I made this recipe for my family and they all loved it. The eggplant was perfectly cooked and the bechamel sauce was creamy and delicious. I will definitely be making this again.


Niru kunwar
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This was my first time making pastitsio and it turned out great! The eggplant was delicious and the bechamel sauce was perfect. I will definitely be making this again.


God pro yt Ni
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I followed the recipe exactly and the pastitsio turned out great. The eggplant was roasted perfectly and the bechamel sauce was creamy and flavorful. I would definitely recommend this recipe to anyone.


Troubled_Jester
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This recipe is a keeper! The eggplant was so tender and flavorful, and the bechamel sauce was perfect. I will definitely be making this again and again.


Noel A. TV.
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I've made this recipe several times now and it's always a hit. It's a great way to use up leftover eggplant and the bechamel sauce is always a crowd-pleaser.


Deki Deki
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This was a great recipe! I made it for a dinner party and everyone loved it. The eggplant was perfectly roasted and the bechamel sauce was creamy and flavorful. I will definitely be making this again.


Nehal Das
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I'm not a huge fan of eggplant, but this dish was surprisingly delicious. The eggplant was cooked perfectly and the flavors all came together beautifully. I would definitely recommend this recipe to anyone, even if they're not sure about eggplant.


Grant
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This pastitsio was amazing! The eggplant added a delicious smoky flavor and the bechamel sauce was creamy and rich. I will definitely be making this again.