Skillet Pastitsio - America's Test Kitchen

Debbie R.'s Note:

Haven't made this yet.

• Total Time: 40 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 1 lb ground lamb
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• salt
• pepper
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 cups water
• 10 curly-edged lasagna noodles, broken into 2-inch lengths
• 28 ounces diced tomatoes
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions:

1. Cook lamb in large skillet over med-hi heat until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Transfer to paper-towel-lined plate.
2. Pour off all but 1 T. fat. Add onion and 1/2 t. salt. Cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic, oregano, and cinnamon. Cook until fragrant--30 seconds. Return meat to skillet along with water. Bring to simmer, scraping up browned bits.
3. Scatter pasta over meat but do not stir. Pour tomatoes over pasta. Cover and bring to simmer. Lower heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender, about 18 minutes.
4. Stir in cream. Simmer until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle cheese over top.

Reviews

[Dr. Jenny]

I love pastitsio, and have made the traditional oven-baked versions that can be quite time-consuming, so I was all for giving this easier version a go! This recipe did not disappoint. The dish required minimal prep and took significantly less time to make than the traditional versions I've made before. It was very flavorful. The only change we made to the directions was to cook the dish in my Dutch oven and I never removed the lamb, as I had lean lamb that did not give off much fat. Therefore, in Step 2, I just simply added the onion to the Dutch oven with the lamb already there. This worked fine. We served with a spinach salad. I would make this again. Thanks for posting. Made for Family Picks ZWT6.