Pastitsio with Slow-Simmered Beef and Pork Ragù and Bay-Infused Béchamel

Method

1. Warm the milk with the bay leaves in a saucepan over medium-low heat for 6 min, until it steams and tiny bubbles appear around the edge; don't let it boil. Turn off the heat, cover and leave to infuse while you make the ragù.

   Add in this stepWhole milk 400 mlBay leaves (for the milk) 1

   medium-low heat

2. Heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy pan over high heat. Add the beef and pork in 1 batch(es), spread them out and leave untouched for 2–3 minutes until a dark crust forms, then break up and brown all over (10 min in all). Deep browning, not grey meat, is what gives the ragù its depth.

   Add in this stepOlive oil 1½ tbspMinced beef (about 20% fat) 140 gMinced pork 80 g

   high heat

3. Lower the heat to medium heat, add the onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes, scraping up the browned bits. Stir in the tomato paste and cook until it darkens to brick red (7 min in all).

   Add in this stepOnion, finely chopped 90 gGarlic cloves, minced 2Tomato paste 1 tbsp

   medium heat

4. Pour in the wine and scrape the pan clean as it bubbles away. Add the passata, stock, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, bay leaves, salt and pepper and simmer, half-covered, over medium-low heat for 45 min, stirring occasionally, until rich and thick. Remove the bay leaves and stir in the cold butter for a glossy finish.

   Add in this stepDry red wine 80 mlPassata (sieved tomatoes) 160 gBeef stock 120 mlGround cinnamon ½ tspGround cloves 1 pinchGround allspice 1 pinchBay leaves (for the ragù) 1Salt ½ tspBlack pepper, freshly ground to tasteCold butter (to finish the ragù) 10 g

   medium-low heat

5. Bring the water to the boil with the salt in a 20 cm pot over high heat and cook the pasta for about 8 min, 3 minutes less than the packet says. Drain, return to the pot and stir in the butter. After 2–3 minutes of cooling, separate the eggs and stir the lightly beaten whites into the pasta with a little under half of the kefalotyri; keep the yolks for the béchamel.

   Add in this stepWater (for the pasta) 1½ LSalt (for the pasta water) 1½ tspBucatini or pastitsio no. 2 (thick long tube pasta) 120 gButter (for the pasta) 10 gEggs 1Kefalotyri or pecorino, finely grated 18 g

   high heat

6. Lift the bay leaves out of the milk. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, stir in the flour for 2 minutes, then whisk in the infused milk gradually and cook, whisking, for 10 min until thick and silky. Off the heat, add the nutmeg, salt, the rest of the kefalotyri and half the Parmesan, then whisk in the yolks.

   Add in this stepButter (for the béchamel) 42 gPlain flour 42 gWhole nutmeg, freshly grated 1 pinchSalt (for the béchamel) 1 pinchKefalotyri or pecorino, finely grated 27 gParmesan, finely grated 10 g

   medium heat

7. Heat the oven to 180 °C. Butter a 20×15 cm baking dish and lay half the pasta in neat parallel rows, all facing the same way. Spread over the ragù, add the rest of the pasta in rows, then pour over the béchamel and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan. The rows give the classic honeycomb look when you cut it.

   Add in this stepParmesan, finely grated 10 g

8. Bake in the oven for 40 min, until deeply golden and bubbling. Rest for at least 40 min before cutting with a sharp knife: the long rest sets the béchamel so every square stands tall.

   oven