Have you ever had this problem: you are home late, your family is hungry, you don’t want to go out, and everyone wants something hearty? This recipe, from Tom Valenti’s One Pot Meals, is your solution.

“Pasticcio” is an Italian word, but the lamb makes this dish more of a Greek “pastitsio.” Regardless which side of Ionian Sea you are on, this combination of meat, pasta, tomato and spices is distinctively fulfilling. Including a lovely béchamel sauce makes this dish lusciously rich. Often “one-pot” meals are considered “immediate leftovers” but this pasticcio certainly belies that attitude.

On a busy night, pull a container of this dish from your freezer and heat it through until steaming. Pair the pasticcio with a tingly cold salad, and you have a quick masterpiece. This recipe can be doubled or tripled and you might consider that if you really want leftovers. On the night you first make this pasticcio, people will dipping in for second helpings.

Lamb Pasticcio

Yield: Serves 8

Ingredients:

2 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds ground lamb
Coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper
½ large Spanish onion, peeled and cut into small dice
1 cup chopped, roasted tomato [recipe follows]
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat leaf parsley leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano leaves
8 tablespoons [1 stick] unsalted butter
¾ cup all-purpose flour
1 quart whole milk
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 pound ditalini or penette pasta, cooked until just al dente and drained

Preparation:

Preheat the broiler. Put the egg yolks in a bowl set aside. Season the lamb generously with salt and pepper.

Heat the olive oil in large, heavy bottomed pot over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the onion and cook until softened, about four minutes. Add the lamb and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer the lamb onion mixture to a bowl and stir in the roasted tomato, tomato paste, parsley, oregano. Set aside.

To make a béchamel sauce, wipe out the pot, add the butter, and cook over medium heat until butter is completely melted. Add the flour a little at a time, whisking it into the butter to incorporate thoroughly without making lumps. Slowly drizzle in the milk, letting it come briefly into contact with bottom of the hot pot to warm it a bit before whisking into the mixture. Add a few tablespoons of hot mixture to the bowl with the egg yolk and whisk it in, then pour the entire mixture into the pot. Whisk in the Parmesan cheese.

Place a casserole in the oven to warm it. Spoon about 1 cup of the béchamel sauce into a bowl and set aside. Stir in reserved lamb and the pasta into the remaining béchamel in the hot pot. Remove the casserole from the oven and transfer the contents of the pot into it. Top with the reserved béchamel, using a spatula or the back of a spoon to spread it evenly over the top of the casserole. If not serving immediately, let cool, cover, and refrigerate for a few days or freeze up to one month. Reheat before proceeding.

Return the kestrel to the oven and broiler until lightly browned on top, about 2 minutes. Serve the pasticcio family-style in the center of the table.

Chopped, Roasted Tomatoes

Yield: 1 cup

Ingredients:

¼ cup olive oil
Coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of sugar
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
12 plum tomatoes, sliced into ½-inch-thick rounds

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 300° F.

Put the oil in a small bowl. Season with the oil, salt, pepper, and sugar to taste. Stir in the thyme. Drip the tomato slices in the bowl to coat them with the seasoned oil.

Transfer the tomatoes to a rimmed baking sheet and roast in the oven for 25 minutes until dried but not shriveled. Carefully turn them with a spatula and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool, and then chop. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 1 month.

Source: Tom Valenti’s Soups, Stews, and One-Pot Meals by Tom Valenti and Andrew Friedman