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Michele Ragussis

Pastitsio
S23E10 American · 2020
Where to find them
● @chefmichele

Here is the thing about getting beaten by your own judge. Michele Ragussis has sat on the Beat Bobby Flay judging panel multiple times. She has watched Bobby win. She has watched Bobby lose. She knows the room, the lighting, the camera angles, and the specific face Bobby makes when a plate isn't working.

Then she got into the kitchen and made pastitsio — the Greek-American casserole of bucatini, meat sauce sharpened with cinnamon and clove, and a béchamel cap baked until the top crackles. It is, structurally, a lasagna built by a country that does not believe in mozzarella. She nailed the béchamel. Bobby's pasta dish, per the broadcast, did not have the layered structure hers did.

Ragussis runs the kitchen at Gedney Farm in the Berkshires. She was the Food Network Star Season 8 runner-up. The judge became the verdict.

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Pastitsio

25 min Prep
50 min Cook
6 Serves
Ingredients
  • 1 lb ground lamb, 85/15 blend
  • 8 oz pappardelle pasta
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
  • 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 2 oz Pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup lamb or chicken stock
  • 2 tbsp red wine
  • Fine sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Heat 2 tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add diced onion and cook 3-4 minutes until softened. Add minced garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant. Add ground lamb, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon, and cook 5-6 minutes until browned. Drain excess fat if needed.
  2. Stir in tomato paste and cook 1 minute. Add red wine and scrape up browned bits from pan bottom. Pour in stock, add cinnamon and 1/4 tsp salt. Simmer uncovered for 8-10 minutes until liquid reduces by half and sauce is rich and glossy. Season with pepper and taste for salt.
  3. While sauce simmers, bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add pappardelle and cook 1 minute under al dente (about 8 minutes total). Drain and toss lightly with a drizzle of olive oil to prevent sticking.
  4. Make béchamel: Melt remaining 2 tbsp butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in 2 tbsp flour (not listed separately—have on hand) to form a paste. Cook 1-2 minutes while stirring constantly. Slowly add milk while whisking to prevent lumps. Cook 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until sauce coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat, stir in grated Pecorino Romano, egg yolk, nutmeg, 1/4 tsp salt, and black pepper.
  5. Preheat oven to 375°F. In a 9x13 inch baking dish, spread a thin layer of béchamel on the bottom. Arrange half the pasta in an even layer. Spread half the lamb sauce over pasta. Layer remaining pasta, then remaining lamb sauce. Top with all remaining béchamel, spreading evenly to edges.
  6. Bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes until top is golden brown and a knife inserted in center shows hot sauce bubbling slightly at edges. The béchamel should set with a light crust.
  7. Remove from oven and rest for 5 minutes before serving. This allows layers to set and makes cutting and plating cleaner. Serve warm, cut into generous portions.
Inspired by Michele Ragussis’s winning pastitsio. This is a plausible recreation, not the chef’s original recipe.
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