Aegean Casserole

Title:
Aegean Casserole

Yield:
8 Servings

Categories:
Beef,
Lhj,
Casseroles




Ingredients:





          **White Sauce**


     4 c  Milk


   1/4 c  Butter or margarine


   2/3 c  All-purpose flour


   1/2    Bay leaf


     1 ts Salt


   1/3 c  Freshly grated Parmesan


          -cheese


          REST:   :


     6 c  Eggplant; finely diced


     2 ts Salt; divided


     1 tb Olive oil; (plus one 1 tsp


          -more)


     1 c  Onions; finely chopped


     2 ts Minced garlic


   1/2 ts Cinnamon


     1 pn Ground red pepper


     1 lb Lean ground beef


   1/2 ts Dried mint flakes


   1/2 ts Freshly ground pepper


   1/4 c  Tomato paste


     1 cn (28-oz) tomatoes


   1/3 c  Fresh flat-leaf parsley;


          -chopped


     1 pk (16-oz) ziti pasta; cook


          -according to pk






 1. Make White Sauce: Bring milk to boil in medium saucepan over high heat.


 Melt butter in large, heavy saucepan over medium heat Add flour and cook,


 whisking, 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk, bay leaf and salt; bring to


 boil, whisking. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring, 10 minutes. Remove from


 heat. Discard bay leaf and stir in Parmesan.


 


 2. Toss eggplant with 1 teaspoon salt; drain in colander 30 minutes. Pat


 dry. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add


 eggplant and cook, stirring, until tender, 10 to 15 minutes.


 


 3. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil to skillet. Add


 onions and cook until tender, 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, cinnamon and red


 pepper; cook 15 seconds. Add meat, mint, remaining 1 teaspoon and teaspoon


 salt and the pepper; cook, stirring, until meat is no longer pink. Add


 tomato paste and tomatoes, breaking up tomatoes with spoon. Add eggplant


 and bring to simmer; simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in


 parsley.


 


 4. Transfer cooked ziti to large bowl and stir in 1 cup White Sauce. Spread


 half the ziti in bottom of deep 5-quart casserole. Spoon on filling, then


 remaining ziti and White Sauce. Bake uncovered 25 to 35 minutes, until


 bubbly and browned.


 


 Per serving: 339 Calories; 22g Fat (58% calories from fat); 16g Protein;


 20g Carbohydrate; 74mg Cholesterol; 1039mg Sodium


 


 NOTES : We combined the flavors of our favorite Greek specialties-moussaka


 and pastitsio--to create a new classic.


 


 Recipe by: LHJ


 


 Posted to MC-Recipe Digest by Lisa Minor 
on Feb 4,


 1998