Pastichio (Greek Lasagna)

Instructions

1. Start by making the meat sauce. Heat a large pan to medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Stir in the chopped onions and sauté until softened. Stir in the garlic, tomato puree and the beef (breaking it up with a wooden spoon) and sauté. Pour in the red wine and cook until evaporated. Add the canned tomatoes, sugar, and spices. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down and simmer with the lid on for about 30 minutes, until most of the liquid has evaporated. After the meat is cooked, remove the bay leaf, the clove, and the cinnamon.
2. Prepare the béchamel sauce. Use a large pan to melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk continuously to make a paste. Add the milk in a steady stream and keep whisking in order to prevent the sauce from getting lumpy. If the sauce still needs to thicken, continue to simmer and whisk. Remove the pan from the stove and add the egg yolks, cheese, a pinch of nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Whisk quickly, in order to prevent the eggs from curdling.
3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the pasta for the pastichio 2-3 minutes less than the package instructions; it will continue to cook in the oven. Drain the pasta and gently stir in the eggs and feta cheese with a spatula.
4. Stir ¼ of the béchamel sauce into the meat sauce.
5. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease the bottom and sides of a 11 x 7-inch baking dish with olive oil and assemble the pastichio. Layer the pasta, then the meat sauce, and top with the béchamel sauce. Smooth out with a spatula.
6. Bake for about 40 minutes, until the crust turns a light golden brown. Serve warm.