Pasta Moussaka

This labor of love marries the classic Greek eggplant moussaka with baked pasta.

Ingredients

Ingredients

  • 1 Box Chef’s Kiss Chunky Arrabbiata Pasta Meal Kit

    For the tomato Sauce
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 100 g lentils, washed and soaked
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon chilli powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 medium eggplant, cut into 1″ chunks

    For the Bechamel Sauce
  • 1 whole milk
  • 2 teaspoon butter
  • 2 teaspoon all-purpose flour
  • Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 egg yolk
  • Method

Make the tomato sauce:

  1. Grease a baking dish with butt er and set aside. In a heavy-bottomed pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, cinnamon, chilli powder, oregano and bay leaf. Stir and cook until soft .
  2. Add the soaked lentils and 2 cups of water and cook for 5 minutes, or until tender.
  3. Add the chunky arrabbiata sauce and eggplant. Stir well and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until eggplant is tender and excess liquid has evaporated, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat.
  4. Meanwhile, in a pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta for 5 minutes and drain.
  5. Add cooked pasta to tomato sauce sauce, stirring to fully coat the pasta. Position a rack in the top third of the oven and preheat to 180ºC.

Make the béchamel:

  1. In a small saucepan over low heat, warm milk.
  2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butt er, sprinkle in flour, and whisk until smooth. Cook until it slightly darkens and smells nutt y, 2 to 3 minutes.
  3. Very slowly pour warmed milk into butt er mixture, continuously whisking until it is smooth and thickened to a custard-like consistency, about 5 minutes.
  4. Remove from heat and stir in nutmeg. Season with salt. Let cool slightly, and stir in the egg yolk.

Assemble the pasta:

  1. Transfer pasta mixture to prepared baking dish and spread into an even layer. Using a rubber spatula, spread béchamel evenly over pasta, all the way to the edges. Sprinkle with parmesan on top.
  2. Cover the dish with a aluminium foil sheet and bake for 20 minutes.
  3. Remove foil, and bake 15 minutes more, or until evenly browned.
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