Pastitsio

Step 1

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a low–medium heat and fry the onions and garlic for about 10 minutes until softened but not coloured.

Step 2

Add the tomato purée, stir for a minute, then add the mince and ground cinnamon. Turn up the heat and fry for a few minutes, breaking up the mince with a wooden spoon. Add the cinnamon stick, bay leaf and wine, bring to the boil then boil for 5–8 minutes until the wine has cooked off.

Step 3

Coarsely grate in the tomatoes, discarding the skins. Pour in the stock, bring to the boil then reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes until the liquid has almost all reduced: the ragu should still be slightly moist.

Step 4

Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas Meanwhile, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta for 2 minutes less than the packet instructions. Drain and drizzle in a little olive oil. Add the parsley, egg and a handful of the grated cheese and stir through. Set side.

Step 5

To make the topping, melt the butter in a large saucepan. Stir in the flour, then gradually whisk in the milk, a little at a time, until you have a smooth white sauce. Cook over a low–medium heat, stirring continuously, until it thickens. Add half the remaining grated cheese and finely grate in a third of a nutmeg. Season generously. Quickly whisk in the eggs.

Step 6

To assemble, whisk a ladleful of the sauce into the ragu. Spread half the pasta in the bottom of your roasting tin or baking dish. Top with half of the ragu, discarding the cinnamon stick and bay leaf. Repeat with the remaining pasta and ragu. Pour over the white sauce and sprinkle over the remaining grated cheese.

Step 7

Bake for 45–50 minutes until golden brown and bubbling. Remove from the oven and leave the pastitsio to stand for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving.