Pastitsio for Patty!
1 lb. elbow macaroni
1/2 lb. butter
1-1/2 lb. ground beef
1/2 can tomato paste
4 oz. grated cheese (Kefalotiri or Gruyere or Parmigiana)
1 medium onion – chopped
cinnamon and nutmeg
salt and pepper
#1 sauce: 2 eggs, 1 cup of milk
#2 sauce: 2 cups milk, 4 eggs, 3 tbsp. flour
Cook macaroni in boiling salted water and drain. Proceed as follows: Saute chopped onion in a little butter; add ground beef and stir until brown; add tomato paste thinned with a little water. Add seasoning – salt pepper cinnamon and nutmeg to taste ( a pinch of each). Cook until beef is done. Melt butter and pour half over drained macaroni mixing carefully. Spread half of macaroni on bottom of 9 x 13″ pan; sprinkle some of the grated cheese on top. Spread entire meat sauce over the macaroni, and cover with remaining macaroni as the top layer. Add rest of cheese. Over this pour the #1 Sauce. Shake pan so that the sauce will penetrate to the bottom of the mixture.
#2 Sauce: In a saucepan place remaining melted butter and add the 3 tbsp. of flour gradually , stirring constantly. Add milk and continue stirring. Slowly add eggs and cook over low heat until thickened, stirring constantly. Spread over macaroni and bake in moderate oven for 40-45 minutes. Cut in squares and serve.
This recipe is from Hellenic Cuisine by Sts. Constantine and Helen Ladies Society, Detroit MI 1956 page 103