Steps
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. Cook 3½ cups of penne in salted water with a little olive oil until al dente, and drain.
- Spread the hot pasta in a 9½ × 13in / 24 × 33cm baking dish and toss it with a little more olive oil and 3 tablespoons of grated Parmesan.
- Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 680g of lean ground beef, 1 large chopped yellow onion, and 3 chopped garlic cloves, season with salt, and cook for 8-10 minutes, until browned.
- Add ½ cup of red wine, 800g of canned crushed tomatoes, 2 dried bay leaves, ¾ teaspoon of ground allspice, ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon, half of ½ teaspoon of ground nutmeg, and 1 pinch of sugar.
- Boil the meat sauce for 5 minutes, then simmer for 10-15 minutes.
- For the béchamel, heat 7 tablespoons of olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat and stir in ⅔ cup of all-purpose flour. Gradually whisk in 4 cups of warm reduced-fat milk and simmer for 5-7 minutes, until thick.
- Stir in ½ teaspoon of salt and the remaining nutmeg, and season with pepper. Whisk a little of the hot béchamel into 2 large eggs, whisk them into the pan, and boil gently for 2 minutes. Let it cool and thicken a little.
- Remove the bay leaves and spread the meat sauce over the pasta. Top with the béchamel and smooth it evenly.
- Bake for about 1 hour, until golden. Rest for 10 minutes before cutting into squares.