Baked Penne with Sausage & Ricotta
A cosy baked penne packed with browned sausage, creamy ricotta, and a tomato-chilli sauce, finished with a golden parmesan crust.
Lamb Pastitsio
Lamb Pastitsio is a cosy Greek-style pasta bake with tender penne and a deeply savoury lamb ragù.
A silky béchamel topping turns golden in the oven, giving each spoonful a rich, comforting finish.
Method
20m40m1h
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan and soften the onion for 4–5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and lamb mince, then cook until browned, breaking up any lumps.
- Stir in the passata, tomato purée, cinnamon and oregano, then season with salt and pepper.
- Simmer the ragù for 15–20 minutes until thick and rich.
- Meanwhile, cook the penne in salted water until just tender, then drain.
- For the béchamel, melt butter in a saucepan, stir in flour, then gradually whisk in warm milk until smooth and thickened.
- Season the béchamel with nutmeg, salt and pepper, then stir in half of the grated cheddar.
- Layer the penne and lamb ragù in an oven dish, spoon over the béchamel, scatter the remaining cheddar and bake at 200°C for 20–25 minutes until golden.
Ingredients
- 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1 Onion finely chopped
- 1 tsp Dried oregano
- 40 g Butter
- 2 cloves Garlic minced
- 500 g Lamb mince
- 400 ml Tomato Passata
- 100 g Cheddar grated
- 300 g Penne
- Black Pepper, to taste
- Salt, to taste
- 500 ml Milk warm
- 40 g Plain Flour
- a pinch Nutmeg
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp Tomato purée
Notes
Let the dish rest for 10 minutes before serving to help it set neatly.
Add a little extra milk to the béchamel if it thickens too quickly.
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