Easy Pastitsio

By janriff924

This version of the classic Greek casserole recipe is made with elbow macaroni, ground beef, and an egg- enriched white sauce. To simplify it, bottled Alfredo sauce replaces the homemade white sauce.

Ingredients

• 1 package (8 ounces) uncooked elbow pasta see savings
• 1-1/2 pounds ground beef see savings
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes with onion and garlic see savings
• 1 cup frozen chopped sweet green pepper see savings
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon see savings
• 1 teaspoon salt see savings
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper see savings
• 5 eggs see savings
• 2 jars (16 ounces each) bottled reduced-fat Alfredo sauce see savings
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg see savings
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan see savings
• 1 bag (12 ounces) green salad with dressing (optional) see savings

Details

Servings 8
Preparation time 5mins
Cooking time 43mins
Adapted from recipe.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat shallow 3-quart casserole with nonstick cooking spray. 2. Cook pasta in large pot of lightly salted boiling water until al dente, firm but tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain. 3. While pasta is cooking, heat 12-inch skillet over high heat. Add beef; cook, breaking up with spoon, until no longer pink, about 3 minutes; drain off any excess fat from skillet. Add tomatoes, green pepper, cinnamon, salt and pepper; cook, uncovered, 5 minutes, until liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat. 4. Spread half the pasta over bottom of prepared casserole. Spoon meat mixture evenly over the pasta. Cover the meat with the remaining pasta. 5. Whisk eggs in a medium-size bowl until blended. Stir in Alfredo sauce and nutmeg until well blended. Slowly pour mixture evenly over the pasta in the casserole. Sprinkle the top evenly with the grated Parmesan cheese. 6. Bake the casserole in the 375 degrees F oven for 30 minutes or until the mixture is bubbly and the top is golden brown. Let casserole stand 15 minutes. Serve with salad, if desired.