Pasticho Venezolano (Venezuelan lasagna)

Very similar to the classic Italian Lasagna Bolognese, this Venezualan version tends to be much creamier, though, making it the perfect comfort food for chilly days.
Its name comes from Pastitsio, a similar Greek dish with layered tubular pasta used in-between the meat and sauce layers. The Greek immigrants brought it to Venezuela, where it eventually morphed into this current form, using classic lasagna sheets. 
Recipe source: here.

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You will need:

• a baking tray of 20 X 30 centimeters or 9 X 13 inch
• aluminum foil

Ingredients:
For the red sauce:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 28-ounce can of stewed tomatoes
• 1 6-ounce can of tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 cup red wine or beef stock

For the white sauce:

• 1/2 cup butter (133 g)
• 1/2 cup flour  (62 g)
• 4 1/2 cups milk (1,125 liters)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (75 g)

To assembly:

• 10 ounces mozzarella cheese, grated (300 g mozzarella cheese)
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (75 g)
• 350 g lasagna sheets

A. Make the meat filling:

Gather the ingredients. Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan.

Add ground beef and cook over medium-high heat until the pink color disappears about 5 minutes.

Add onions and cook until they are translucent, about 5 minutes more.

Add wine, tomato sauce, parsley, allspice, cinnamon, salt, and pepper and allow the sauce to simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.

Stir breadcrumbs into the meat sauce if needed to absorb excess liquid; and then remove from heat.

B. Make the bechamel sauce (while the red sauce is simmering):

Place the butter in a heavy saucepan, and melt it over medium low heat. 

Whisk in the flour, and cook, stirring,  until butter-flour mixture is bubbly. Whisk the milk into the butter/flour mixture, and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens. 

Add salt, nutmeg (optional) and Parmesan cheese, and stir until smooth. 

Taste for seasoning, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

C.  Assemble the pasticho:

Spread a thin layer of bechamel sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch (20 X 30 cm) baking pan. Cover with a layer of lasagna noodles. 

Cover the noodles with a layer of one third of the meat sauce. Top meat sauce with another layer of noodles. Spread another, thicker layer of bechamel sauce (about 1 cup) on top of the noodles then sprinkle 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese and a couple of tablespoons of Parmesan cheese over the bechamel.

Repeat with another meat sauce layer then another bechamel and cheese layer. Repeat with one more meat sauce layer; top with a final layer of noodles then spread the remaining bechamel over the noodles, and sprinkle remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese over the top.

Cover the lasagna with a piece of aluminum foil and bake, covered, for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, and continue to bake until cheese is melted and lasagna is heated through and bubbly. Let it cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Cut into large squares, transfer to serving plates and dig in!