Pastitsio

Pastitsio reminds me of my yiayia (grandma in Greek).  I think everyone has a grandma or aunt that reminds them of their favorite childhood meals… this one brings back memories for me.  The easiest way to describe pastitsio is to say it’s like a Greek lasagna, except that instead of a red sauce, it has a bechamel (a white sauce).  In Greece, they typically use a certain noodle (like a very long thin macaroni), but penne or ziti work fine.  Traditionally, it’s cooked with lamb or beef; I substitute turkey a lot, but cooking’s all about making people happy, and I think my eater will appreciate beef today.  So I’m using good quality grass-fed beef (if I’m gonna use meat, I’m very picky about it being good quality.. otherwise I’d rather just go vegetarian!).  Also, like most of my dishes, I have made this recipe lighter than it is traditionally… a less fatty bechamel and less sauce in general, but still super flavorful!
*I’m making small portions.  This dish is great for large groups, but since I didn’t want to have a plethora of leftovers, I made about half of what I normally would, perfect for about 4 servings.  Double the ingredients if you’re using a larger baking dish for more servings.