THE DAIRY KITCHEN
Greek Lamb and Eggplant Pasta Bake
By THE DAIRY KITCHEN
Serves
6
Difficulty
Easy
Preparation
30 MINS
Cooking
45 MINS
Make a couple batches of this recipe and dinner will never be far away.
Ingredients
Red Sauce
1 tablespoon oil1 onion, finely chopped
500g minced lamb
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon sugar
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
600g eggplant, cut into 2cm pieces
700ml bottle tomato passata (Italian tomato cooking sauce)
White sauce
40g butter, chopped1/4 cup plain flour
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 cups milk
2 eggs
250g Greek-style natural yoghurt
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
For Serving
300g penne pasta, cooked to packet instructions, drainedMethod
Red sauce
- Heat oil in a large saucepan and cook the onion over medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Add lamb and cook over high heat, stirring to break up lumps for 5 minutes or until browned. Stir in the parsley, garlic, oregano, cinnamon, sugar and seasonings and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the eggplant and passata, cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes. Remove the lid and cook for a further 10 minutes until reduced slightly.
White sauce
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, add the flour and nutmeg and cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes without colouring. Whisk in the milk and then cook until smooth and thick, whisking continuously. Remove from the heat and whisk in eggs, yoghurt and half the parmesan. Season with salt to taste.
Serving
- Combine half of the pasta with the red sauce and spoon into a lightly buttered 5 litre casserole dish. Combine the remaining pasta with the white sauce and spread over the lamb. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake at 200°C for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.
