Pastitsio

I recently picked up "America's Test Kitchen: Cooking for Two 2010" at Costco. I'm such a sucker for cookbooks at Costco. "Soy milk? Check. Juice? Check. New Cookbook? Che-e-e-e-ck!". The final 'check' sing-songed in a big ol' girl voice. Of course I do.

For my first recipe to break in the book I made "Skillet Pastitsio" on page 66. I wasn't expecting it to be so flavorful! I substituted lean ground beef since Rick doesn't like lamb (his main character fault) and was surprised it still had a fairly complex flavor. I used fresh oregano from my container garden, so that definitely gave it an extra kick. One of the things I really like about this cookbook is it cross references other recipes to help you use up left over ingredients. Very helpful when you cook for two!

Skillet Pastitsio

Ground lamb is traditional in this dish, but you can substitute 90 percent ground beef if you prefer. If using ground beef, do not drain the meat in step 1. Make sure to use a 12-inch ovensafe nonstick skillet for this recipe.

8 ounces ground lamb (see note)
1 onion, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 freshly grated nutmeg
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano or 1/2 teaspoon dried
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
1/2 cup heavy cream
Salt
1/3 ground elbow macaroni (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 1/2 ounces Pecorino Romano cheese, grated (about 3/4 cup)
Pepper

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 475 degrees. Cook the lamb in a 12-inch ovensafe nonstick skillet over medium heat, breaking apart the meat, until no longer pink and the fat has rendered, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the lamb to a strainer set over a medium bowl and let drain, reserving 1 tablespoon of the fat.
2. Hea the reserved fat in the skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and cook until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, and oregano, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
3. Stir in the broth, water, 1/4 cup of the cream, and 1/4 teaspoon salt, then add the drained lamb and pasta. Increase the heat to high and cook at a vigorous simmer, stirring often, until the pasta is tender, 9 to 12 minutes.
4. Whisk the remaining 1/4 cup cream and cornstarch together in a small bowl, then stir into the skillet and continue to simmer until thickened slightly, about 1 minute. Off the heat, stir in 1/4 cup of the Pecorino Romano; season with salt and pepper to taste (author note: I didn't add any additional salt as I used regular chicken broth rather than low-sodium). Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup Pecorino Romano over the top; bake until the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Serve.