Italian Style Pastitsio

Ingredients

Ingredients with an * are listed more than once.

• 1 1/2 teaspoon table salt *
• 2 tablespoons water *
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion , finely chopped
• 5 cloves garlic , minced *
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds crushed
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper *
• 1 1/2 teaspoon dried mushroom powder (optional)
• 1/4 cup dry vermouth
• 6 ounce can tomato paste
• 1 cup water *
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1 clove garlic , minced *
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt *
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper *
• 4 cups whole milk
• 8 ounces ziti
• 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese *
• 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese *
• 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese , shredded *
• 1 eggs
• 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese *
• 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese *

Directions

• Gather and prep ingredients. The meat sauce can be made a day ahead if desired.
  
• Mix water, salt and baking soda in a small bowl.
  
• Put ground turkey in medium bowl and sprinkle water mixture over the turkey. Toss with a fork to combine mixture. Set aside
  
• Heat oil and saute onion over medium heat for a few minutes until onion is softened.
  
• Add garlic, oregano, pepper flakes, black pepper, and optional mushroom powder. Sauté until fragrant, a minute or two.
  
• Add vermouth or water and stir to combine. Continue cooking until mixture is thickened.
  
• Add ground meat mixture, tomato paste and water to pan. Stir to combine. Continue to cook and stir until meat is no longer pink and broken up, about 4 or 5 minutes.
  
• Bring to a simmer, cover the pot and cook for 30 minutes, stirring on occasion. Set aside. You can store the sauce in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for a day or two.
  
• Preheat the oven to 375. Put oven rack in middle of oven. Spray a glass baking dish with vegetable spray. The dish should be about 8"x8", but other measurements will work if the surface area is similar. I am using a 9"x7" pan. It should be rectangular or the layers will not be neat. Place the glass baking dish on top of a jelly roll pan to catch any overflow while baking.
  
• Melt butter in a large saucepan.
  
• Add flour, garlic, salt, and pepper to the butter and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.
  
• Add the milk slowly, whisking while you are pouring it in. Bring to boil.
  
• Add the pasta. Stir frequently so the pasta does not stick together. Bring the sauce back to a simmer.
  
• Remove the pot from the heat. Cover and let sit for 15 minutes. Stir a few times to keep pasta separated.
  
• Using a spider skimmer, move the pasta to the baking dish, leaving the sauce in the pot. The pasta will not be fully cooked. Add cheese to the pasta and mix.
  
• If using ziti, try to arrange the pasta in rows. It does not have to be perfect, but looks nice when they are lined up. If using another type of pasta don't worry about the arrangement and just spread in an even layer.
  
• Add rest of the cheese to the sauce and whisk, then add the egg and whisk until smooth.
  
• Spread the meat sauce over the pasta in an even layer.
  
• Pour the white sauce over the meat sauce carefully, and spread into even layer. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top if desired.
  
• Place dish and pan underneath in the oven. Bake until top is spotty brown. This will take 40-50 minutes.
  
• Remove from oven and let cool 20 minutes.
  
• Serve. Leftovers can be stored in refrigerator for a few days. The leftovers reheat a bit unevenly in the microwave because each layer is different, but is should still taste good.