Lamb Pasticcio

Cooking and preparation time - 1 hour 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 large onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 15ml/1 tbsp olive oil
• 450g/1 lb minced lamb
• 3 Italian Herb & Spice Oxo cubes
• 1 original Oxo cube
• 2.5 ml/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 60 ml/4 tbsp tomato puree
• a pinch of sugar
• 100g / 4oz frozen leaf spinach, thawed

Topping:

• 100g / 4oz pasta twists
• 2 eggs
• 25g / 1oz butter
• 25g / 1oz flour
• 450ml / 3/4 pint warm milk
• 50g/2oz grated cheese
• salt & freshly ground black pepper

Method:

• Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the onion until golden
• Add the garlic and lamb and cook over a high heat until lamb is brown
• Crumble in 2 Italian Oxo. Add the original Oxo to 300ml/ 1/2 pint of hot water and pour into pan
• Add the cinnamon, tomato puree and sugar, and simmer uncovered for 25 minutes
• Drain the spinach and stir into meat
• Heat the oven to 190C/350F/mark 5
• Cook the pasta in boiling water and 1 Italian Oxo cube. Drain when just tender.
• Make a white sauce with butter, flour and milk, then off the heat add the beaten eggs, cheese and cooked pasta
• Turn the meat mix into an ovenproof dish. Spoon over the pasta and bake for 30-35 minutes.

NB. If you can't buy Italian Herb & Spice Oxo use dried mixed spice instead.