Smith's Chef Jeff Jackson's recipe as featured on Good Day Utah!
For the meat sauce and pasta layer:
1 lb. box penne pasta
2 lb. ground beef
1 tsp. kosher Salt and ½ tsp. pepper
1 small onion, diced
1 tsp. garlic, minced
1 tsp. cinnamon
¼ cup chopped parsley
1 egg
32 oz. jarred marinara sauce
½ cup parmesan cheese, grated
Crumbled feta for garnish
For the Béchamel layer:
1 ½ cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
4 tbsp. butter
¼ cup flour
¼ tsp. nutmeg
½ tsp. salt and ½ tsp. pepper
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 lg. eggs, beaten
½ cup plain Greek yogurt
Start by making the béchamel. In a pot over medium-high heat, melt the butter and then whisk in the flour. Cook and stir for 1 minute. Pour in the milk and cream and continue to whisk.
Once combined, allow the mixture to come to a boil stirring often to prevent scorching. Once the mixture boils, lower the heat to med-low and simmer 5 minutes.
Add the nutmeg, salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and stir in the parmesan cheese. Let the mixture sit to cool a bit. The beaten eggs and yogurt will be stirred in later.
Preheat your oven to 350. Heat some salted water in a large pot and bring to a boil. Cook the pasta to package directions. Drain the pasta and pour back into the pot and toss with some olive oil to prevent sticking. Set aside.
Make the meat sauce by adding the ground beef and onion with some cooking oil to a large sauté pan over med-high heat. Drain the excess fat and return the meat mixture to the pan. Stir in the garlic, salt, pepper, and cinnamon. Crack the egg into the meat mixture and stir often until the egg is cooked and mixed into the meat. Pour in the marinara and stir in along with the chopped parsley.
Prepare a 9x13 baking dish with some non-stick cooking spray. Add the pasta to the bottom of the baking dish. Pour over the meat sauce evenly. Stir the beaten eggs and yogurt to the bechamel.
Once combined, evenly spread the mixture over the meat sauce. Sprinkle the remaining parmesan cheese over the top. Place in the oven to bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the top is golden brown and bubbling. Remove from the oven and let it sit for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Slice and serve with some crumbled feta on top. Enjoy!
