medtran49
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The original recipe, using ground beef, is from Chef Michael Symon from his show using an outdoor grill to make entire dinners. I modified to use ground lamb and made some changes to ingredients and technique to make it mine, including reducing the amount of cinnamon since it is a very, very strong taste to me.
INGREDIENTS
Pasta Layer
1 pound/16 ounces bucatini
1 cup grated kefalotyri cheese (pecorino romano can be substituted)
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
EVOO to oil casserole
Meat Sauce
3 Tbsp EVOO
2 pounds ground lamb (see notes)
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
2 cups finely diced onion
3/4 tsp Aleppo pepper (see notes)
Generous 1/4 tsp cinnamon (original used 1/2 tsp)
6-8 sprigs fresh thyme, tied with butcher's twine
1 cup dry white wine
2-1/2 cups passata (see notes)
Bechamel
10 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup AP flour plus 2 Tbsp
Salt and white pepper to taste (can use black)
Generous 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
4-1/2 cups whole milk
1 cup grated kefalotyri cheese (pecorino romano can be substituted)
3 large eggs
DIRECTIONS
Pasta Layer
Using a very wide pot, boil pasta in salted water 3 minutes less than directed on package. You want it to be just short of al dente. Do NOT stir pasta like you normally would. Use tongs and kind of just jiggle small sections at a time. You want to be able to place all the noodles in one direction in the casserole dish. Use EVOO to lightly grease a 13x9 deep-sided baking dish (see notes). Using tongs, pick up small sections of noodles and line the bottom of the baking dish, making sure noodles all face 1 direction. Drizzle the melted butter over the noodles, then sprinkle the cheese evenly. Set aside.
Meat Sauce
Heat the pot you cooked the pasta in over medium-high heat, add the EVOO, swirl to coat, add lamb and cook until all is lightly browned, breaking up into small clumps. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add onion and cook until translucent, lowering heat if things start to stick or get too brown. Add wine to deglaze pot, reduce for 3-4 minutes. Add Aleppo pepper, thyme and cinnamon. Stir in tomato product. Cook at a low simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove thyme bundle. Sauce should be quite thick.
Bechamel
While the meat sauce is simmering, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and stir in using a whisk. Whisk for 3 minutes. Add 1 cup of the milk, using the whisk. Add another cup of milk and whisk until mixed with no lumps. Add the salt, white pepper and nutmeg, plus another cup of milk. Whisk. Add remaining cup of milk. Whisk. Allow bechamel to come to a low boil, reducing heat if sticking, and continue to whisk until mixture has thickened slightly, 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add the cheese and whisk until melted. Break eggs into a small bowl and whisk, add a large spoonful of bechamel, whisk, then add another large spoonful and whisk. This is tempering the eggs so you don't end up with scrambled eggs in your bechamel. Add egg mixture to the saucepan, whisking constantly until well mixed. Set aside.
Assemble
Place the meat sauce on top of the noodles spreading out evenly. Pour the bechamel on top of the meat sauce and spread evenly.
Finish
Prepare your grill with charcoal using indirect heat or heat one side only on a gas grill to a temperature range of 350-375 F. Bake the dish for 45 minutes, rotating pan half way through, until there are golden brown spots on the bechamel.
You can also bake in oven, 400 F for 45 minutes.
NOTES:
If you don't have a deep-sided 13x9 baking dish, line the dish with wide heavy-duty foil (or a double layer of regular) big enough to fold over the sides and ends to make a deep cuff, increasing the depth of your dish. Then oil the foil.
You can substitute other ground meats, original was ground beef. If substituting with a ground poultry, I would use additional seasoning to add more flavor.
Substitue Aleppo pepper with a blend of sweet paprika and cayenne pepper in a 4:1 ratio. You can also substitute Ancho chile powder.
I prefer to use passata for the tomato product, as there are no seeds. You can also use crushed tomatoes, but increase to 3 cups.
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