Rick Stein’s Pastitsio – Beef and Macaroni Pie with Cinnamon, Red Wine and Kefalotiri Cheese

For the meat sauce, heat the oil in a pan, add the onion, garlic and celery and fry until just beginning to brown. Add the mince and fry over a high heat for 3–4 minutes, breaking up any lumps with a wooden spoon as the meat browns.

Add the red wine, tomatoes, tomato paste, cinnamon stick, ground cloves, dried and fresh oregano, bay leaves, 100ml of water, 1½ teaspoons of salt and some black pepper. Simmer for 30–40 minutes, stirring now and then, until the sauce has thickened but is still nicely moist. Remove and discard the cinnamon stick and bay leaves, then set the sauce aside.

Cook the pasta in salted boiling water until al dente. Take care not to overcook, as it will cook a little more in the oven. Drain well, transfer to a large bowl and leave to cool slightly.

For the white sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the flour and cook, while stirring, over a medium heat, for 1 minute. Gradually beat in the milk, then bring to the boil, still stirring. Lower the heat and leave to simmer for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with the nutmeg and some salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C. Stir 250ml (about one-fifth) of the white sauce into the warm pasta together with the beaten eggs and half the grated cheese. Keep the remaining sauce warm over a low heat, stirring now and then and adding more milk if it begins to get a little thick.

Use the melted butter to grease a large, shallow ovenproof dish measuring about 23 x 33cm across and 7cm deep. Spread one-third of the pasta mixture over the base of the dish and cover with half the meat sauce. Add another third of the pasta and then the rest of the meat sauce, then cover with a final layer of pasta. Spoon over the remaining white sauce.

Mix the remaining grated cheese with the breadcrumbs and sprinkle them over the top. Bake for 30–40 minutes until bubbling hot and golden brown on top.