Hey everyone, hope you’re having an amazing day today. Today, I’m gonna show you how to prepare a distinctive dish, greek pastitsio. It is one of my favorites. For mine, I’m gonna make it a little bit unique. This is gonna smell and look delicious.
Greek Pastitsio is one of the most favored of current trending meals on earth. It’s enjoyed by millions daily. It’s simple, it’s fast, it tastes delicious. Greek Pastitsio is something which I’ve loved my entire life. They’re nice and they look fantastic.
Pastitsio is a layered Greek pasta bake topped with white sauce. You can also use a mixture of half minced beef and half minced pork for this recipe, and use penne instead of macaroni. Today, we are talking comfort food, Greek style. I'm sharing my mom's version of Greek pastitsio, a delectable, flavor-packed baked pasta.
To begin with this particular recipe, we have to prepare a few ingredients. You can cook greek pastitsio using 32 ingredients and 10 steps. Here is how you cook it.
The ingredients needed to make Greek Pastitsio:
- Get Main Ingredients
- Make ready 2 tbsp margarine, melted
- Get 2 large onion, chopped
- Take 3 large carrots, peeled & finely chopped
- Make ready 3 stick celery, finely chopped
- Take 4 clove crushed fresh garlic
- Prepare 2 bay leaves
- Make ready 2 can chopped tomatoes
- Get 2 tbsp tomato paste
- Get 1 1/2 cup beef stock
- Take 1 tbsp oregano
- Prepare 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- Get 1 tsp ground cloves
- Make ready 1 tsp ground cumin
- Make ready 2 tsp sugar
- Prepare Freshly ground black pepper
- Prepare Salt
- Prepare 2 lb ground beef (80/20)
- Take Pasta
- Get 1 lb ziti, cooked
- Prepare 1 egg, beaten
- Get 2 tbsp grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for topping
- Take Bechamel Sauce
- Take 1 quart milk
- Get 1 cup (2 sticks) margarine
- Make ready 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- Prepare 1 cup all-purpose flour
- Make ready 1 Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Make ready 1 tsp paprika
- Prepare 1 cup cheddar cheese
- Take 2 eggs, beaten
- Take 2 tbsp grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
While the meat is cooking start on the crema (bechamel style sauce). Mix the eggs with the milk in large pot. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. The pasta that is usually used in Greece is a long thin macaroni called Perciatelli.
Steps to make Greek Pastitsio:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Meat Sauce Directions:
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, add the butter and saute onion, garlic, carrots, celery until soft and fragrant. Add the ground beef, stirring continuously, until all the meat is cooked and browned. Drain and add the tomatoes, paste, beef stock, bay leaves, herbs and sugar and simmer for a few minutes. Stir in salt & pepper to taste. Let simmer for about 20 minutes, then remove the bay leaves.
- For Pasta:
- While the meat mixture is simmering, boil the pasta till al dente.
- Mix the beaten egg with the parmesan cheese and toss with cooked & drained pasta.
- For the Bechamel Sauce:
- Heat the milk in medium saucepan over low heat. In separate medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the margarine, then add the flour and mix well. Stir in the heated milk one tablespoon at a time, and stir until smooth. Stir in spices & cheese. Season to taste. Keep warm until ready to use.
- To Assemble dish:
- Spray a large casserole dish generously with nonstick spray. Combine pasta with half the Bechamel Sauce. Transfer half of the pasta to baking dish. Spread all the meat sauce over pasta. Cover with remaining pasta. Top with Bechamel Sauce and sprinkle with more grated Parmigiano. Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove from the oven and let rest about 5 minutes. Serve with salad and crust bread.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. The pasta that is usually used in Greece is a long thin macaroni called Perciatelli. If you can't get this then Penne is a good substitute but it is important to use a pasta that has a hole through it as the sauce seeps in and makes it extra delicious. The addition of cinnamon is also important and is an influence of the Ottomans. The Pastitsio (or Pastichio) is a famous Greek pasta bake with a spiced meat sauce and a silky béchamel.
So that is going to wrap it up with this exceptional food greek pastitsio recipe. Thank you very much for reading. I’m sure you will make this at home. There’s gonna be more interesting food in home recipes coming up. Remember to save this page on your browser, and share it to your family, friends and colleague. Thank you for reading. Go on get cooking!
