Pasta Moussaka is a delightful twist on the classic Italian lasagna, offering a comforting and hearty pasta bake that’s sure to become an instant family favorite. Layers of tender pasta, rich tomato sauce, and a savory mix of ground meat or vegetables are topped with a creamy béchamel sauce, then baked to perfection. The result is a deliciously satisfying dish with a perfect balance of flavors and textures, making it a great option for any main course table.
Ingredients
- Cooking spray or butter, for baking dish
- 1 lb. ziti
- 1/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan
- FOR THE MEAT SAUCE
- 1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 lb. lean ground beef (90% or above)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp. paprika
- 2 tsp. dried oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 (28-oz. cans) diced tomatoes
- Kosher salt
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 2 medium eggplants, cut into 1" chunks
- 1/2 c. dry red wine
- Freshly ground black pepper
- FOR THE BÉCHAMEL
- 2 c. whole milk
- 4 tbsp. butter
- 1/3 c. all-purpose flour
- 1/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan
- Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
- Kosher salt
- 2 egg yolks
Instructions
Steps:
- Make the meat sauce: Grease a 9″-x-13″ baking dish with cooking spray or butter and set aside. In a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add ground beef and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium-low. Add garlic and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Add cinnamon, paprika, oregano, and bay leaf and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add tomatoes with their juices, 1 teaspoon salt, and sugar and stir to combine. Add eggplant and wine, stir well, and cover partially. Return to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until eggplant is tender and excess liquid has evaporated, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta for half the time on the package directions. Drain. Add cooked pasta to meat sauce, stirring to fully coat noodles. Position a rack in the top third of the oven and preheat to 375º.
- Make the béchamel: In a small saucepan over low heat, warm milk.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter, sprinkle in flour, and whisk until smooth. Cook until it slightly darkens and smells nutty, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Very slowly pour warmed milk into butter mixture, continuously whisking until it is smooth and thickened to a custard-like consistency, about 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan and nutmeg. Season with salt. Let cool slightly, then whisk in egg yolks.
- Assemble the pasta: Transfer pasta mixture to prepared baking dish and spread into an even layer. Using a rubber spatula, spread béchamel evenly over pasta, all the way to the edges. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan on top.
- Grease underside of foil with cooking spray and cover dish loosely. Bake for 20 minutes.
- Increase heat to 400º, remove foil, and bake 15 to 20 minutes more, or until evenly browned.
