Pasta Moussaka Made Easy

Chef Morgan Figgs from Allelo in St. Petersburg shares a Greek-Italian fusion dish, Pasta Moussaka, featuring layered rich ground lamb bolognese, smoky baba ghanoush, creamy alfredo, and melted fontina cheese. Learn how to make warm, fresh ricotta cheese entirely from scratch in your own kitchen using simple ingredients like milk, heavy cream, fresh thyme, and honey. With smart store-bought shortcuts and easy assembly steps, this ultimate Sunday supper comfort food comes together effortlessly for any weeknight meal. 

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Homemade Ricotta

Ingredients

• 6 cups milk
• ⅓ cup milk
• 1 ½ cups heavy cream
• 1 tbsp heavy cream
• ⅓ tsp salt
• 25 sprigs thyme
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp honey

Directions

1. Make sachet for thyme using cheesecloth.
2. In pot, add milk, heavy cream, salt, and thyme sachet. Bring mixture to 195°-205° F.
3. Add lemon juice and stir to combine. Turn off heat and let sit 2–3 minutes to curdle.
4. Scoop cheese curds onto cheesecloth-covered perforated pan or strainer set over bowl.
5. Transfer to refrigerator and allow to drain at least 30 minutes (or up to 24 hours).
6. Once drained and chilled, whip cheese curds with honey and additional salt to taste.

Lamb Bolognese

Ingredients

• 2 ½ lb ground lamb
• 1 cup white onion (small diced)
• ½ cup carrot (small diced)
• ½ cup celery (small diced)
• 4 tbsp red wine
• 1 ½ cups marinara
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 ½ tbsp salt

Directions

1. Brown off ground lamb in large saute pan over medium-high heat.
2. Strain and drain excess fat, leaving small amount of fat in pan.
3. Add white onion, carrot, and celery to pan and saute 5–7 minutes until softened.
4. Deglaze pan with red wine and allow alcohol to cook off 5–10 minutes.
5. Add marinara, heavy cream, and salt.
6. Stir to combine and simmer on medium-low heat 30–45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens.

Pasta Moussaka Assembly

Ingredients

• 4 cups lamb bolognese
• 2 cups baba ghanoush
• 1 lb ready-to-bake lasagna pasta sheets
• 2 cups alfredo sauce
• 2 cups whipped homemade ricotta
• 3 cups shredded fontina cheese (or mozzarella)
• salt to taste
• aleppo pepper flakes to taste (or crushed red pepper)
• pecorino cheese for garnish
• fresh chives for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. In 8x10 inch baking dish, spread layer of lamb bolognese (about half sauce) on bottom.
3. Add layer of baba ghanoush (about half batch).
4. Cover baba ghanoush with layer of lasagna pasta sheets.
5. Add layer of alfredo sauce.
6. Add layer of whipped homemade ricotta and smooth flat.
7. Add layer of shredded fontina cheese, then sprinkle with small pinch of salt and aleppo pepper flakes.
8. Top with second layer of lasagna pasta sheets.
9. Repeat layers with remaining lamb bolognese, baba ghanoush, lasagna pasta sheets, alfredo sauce, whipped homemade ricotta, fontina cheese, salt, and aleppo pepper flakes.
10. Finish with final top layer of shredded fontina cheese.
11. Bake at 350° F for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until cheese is golden brown and bubbling around edges.
12. Remove from oven, let rest slightly, and garnish with freshly grated pecorino cheese and finely chopped chives before slicing.

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