Greek Pastitsio
Greek Pastitsio
The ultimate in Greek comfort food - pasta, savory meat filling, and a creamy bechamel sauce assembled in layers and then baked to a gorgeous golden brown - delicious! Follow along as we make this dish step by step.
Gather Your Ingredients and Measure Ahead
The first thing they drill in cooking school is the practice of mise en place which is a French culinary term for "everything in its place." If you gather your ingredients together and measure everything out ahead of time, the dish will come together easily and you won't find that you are missing a key ingredient when you've already begun to cook.
Brown the Ground Beef with Onions in a Large Saute Pan
You will need a large enough saute pan to move the meat around and to add liquid. I'm using a 4-quart size saute pan here. Make sure to brown the beef over medium-high heat until all the pink color disappears. Add the onions and saute until translucent, about another 5 minutes.
Add Remaining Sauce Ingredients and Simmer Uncovered
Add the wine, tomato sauce, parsley, and spices to the ground beef mixture and stir until incorporated. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Simmer the meat sauce uncovered over medium-low heat for 10 minutes to reduce the liquid and develop the flavors.
This would be a good time to boil the water for the pasta.
After simmering for 10 minutes, sprinkle the sauce with breadcrumbs to absorb excess liquid.
Set aside while you make the pasta.
Add Noodles Back to Pot and Toss with Butter, Cheese, and Egg Whites
These pasta noodles are long and thick and are sold especially for making Pastitsio. They are called Macaronia #2 in Greece. You can find them at ethnic grocers or Greek food shops. If you need to substitute, try penne or ziti noodles.
It's important to cook them until just done, you don't want them to be too mushy. Drain the noodles in a colander and rinse them with cold water so that they cool slightly.
You will be adding egg whites to them in the next step and you don't want cooked eggs.
Melt butter in pasta pot. Add the noodles back and toss with grated Parmesan cheese and lightly beaten egg whites. Be careful not to tear the noodles while tossing.
I use a lasagna pan which is roughly 12 x 18 x 3 inches to make this dish. Brush the bottom and sides with olive oil and then layer half the noodles in the bottom of the pan. Spread them out and flatten slightly to form the base of this dish.
Add all of the meat sauce to the pan in an even layer. Don't press down into pasta too much - try to keep it in its own layer. Top with remaining noodles and try to spread them out in an even layer. They don't have to be perfectly flat, just enough so that they don't stick out through the bechamel sauce which is added last.
Gather the ingredients for the Bechamel which is a creamy white sauce. Once you get started you need to whisk continuously, so make sure to have your tools and ingredients close at hand. This is also a good time to preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Melt butter over low heat making sure not to let it brown. Warm a quart of milk but don't boil.
Once the flour hits the melted butter it is going to clump so it is important to keep whisking so that you make a nice smooth paste or roux. Cook the paste for about a minute to eliminate the raw flour taste but don't let it start to brown.
Add the warmed milk to butter flour mixture in a steady stream. This is the make or break step for your Bechamel. You have to keep whisking like crazy now in order to prevent your sauce from turning in to lumpy goop.
Remove the sauce pan from the heat and slowly whisk in the beaten egg yolks. These will act as the thickening agent for the sauce. You may need to return to the stove over low heat to thicken it a bit more or add some more milk if it becomes too thick.
The proper consistency should be somewhere between gravy and pudding.
Stir in a small pinch of ground nutmeg to boost the flavor of the Bechamel. Some people like to add grated Parmesan cheese to the Bechamel sauce. I prefer to sprinkle it on top of the Pastitsio before cooking. Now you're ready to add the final layer to your masterpiece.
Cover the top of the Pastitsio noodles with a thick layer of Bechamel sauce. Be sure to poke some sauce down in to the corners and sides. Smooth out the sauce with a spatula or the back of a wooden spoon.
Top the Bechamel sauce with a sprinkling of grated Parmesan or Kefalotyri cheese and the Pastitsio is ready to go in to a 350 degree oven.
Bake the Pastitsio in a 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes or until crust turns a light golden brown. Be sure to let it cool for at least 20 minutes so that it can set before you cut it. Enjoy!
Did I forget to tell you that pastitsio in Greek translates to "messy kitchen?" All kidding aside, once you taste it, it will be well worth the clean up!
The ultimate in Greek comfort food - pasta, savory meat filling, and a creamy bechamel sauce assembled in layers and then baked to a gorgeous golden brown - delicious! Follow along as we make this dish step by step.
Gather Your Ingredients and Measure Ahead
The first thing they drill in cooking school is the practice of mise en place which is a French culinary term for "everything in its place." If you gather your ingredients together and measure everything out ahead of time, the dish will come together easily and you won't find that you are missing a key ingredient when you've already begun to cook.
Brown the Ground Beef with Onions in a Large Saute Pan
You will need a large enough saute pan to move the meat around and to add liquid. I'm using a 4-quart size saute pan here. Make sure to brown the beef over medium-high heat until all the pink color disappears. Add the onions and saute until translucent, about another 5 minutes.
Add Remaining Sauce Ingredients and Simmer Uncovered
Add the wine, tomato sauce, parsley, and spices to the ground beef mixture and stir until incorporated. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Simmer the meat sauce uncovered over medium-low heat for 10 minutes to reduce the liquid and develop the flavors.
This would be a good time to boil the water for the pasta.
After simmering for 10 minutes, sprinkle the sauce with breadcrumbs to absorb excess liquid.
Set aside while you make the pasta.
Add Noodles Back to Pot and Toss with Butter, Cheese, and Egg Whites
These pasta noodles are long and thick and are sold especially for making Pastitsio. They are called Macaronia #2 in Greece. You can find them at ethnic grocers or Greek food shops. If you need to substitute, try penne or ziti noodles.
It's important to cook them until just done, you don't want them to be too mushy. Drain the noodles in a colander and rinse them with cold water so that they cool slightly.
You will be adding egg whites to them in the next step and you don't want cooked eggs.
Melt butter in pasta pot. Add the noodles back and toss with grated Parmesan cheese and lightly beaten egg whites. Be careful not to tear the noodles while tossing.
I use a lasagna pan which is roughly 12 x 18 x 3 inches to make this dish. Brush the bottom and sides with olive oil and then layer half the noodles in the bottom of the pan. Spread them out and flatten slightly to form the base of this dish.
Add all of the meat sauce to the pan in an even layer. Don't press down into pasta too much - try to keep it in its own layer. Top with remaining noodles and try to spread them out in an even layer. They don't have to be perfectly flat, just enough so that they don't stick out through the bechamel sauce which is added last.
Gather the ingredients for the Bechamel which is a creamy white sauce. Once you get started you need to whisk continuously, so make sure to have your tools and ingredients close at hand. This is also a good time to preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Melt butter over low heat making sure not to let it brown. Warm a quart of milk but don't boil.
Once the flour hits the melted butter it is going to clump so it is important to keep whisking so that you make a nice smooth paste or roux. Cook the paste for about a minute to eliminate the raw flour taste but don't let it start to brown.
Add the warmed milk to butter flour mixture in a steady stream. This is the make or break step for your Bechamel. You have to keep whisking like crazy now in order to prevent your sauce from turning in to lumpy goop.
Remove the sauce pan from the heat and slowly whisk in the beaten egg yolks. These will act as the thickening agent for the sauce. You may need to return to the stove over low heat to thicken it a bit more or add some more milk if it becomes too thick.
The proper consistency should be somewhere between gravy and pudding.
Stir in a small pinch of ground nutmeg to boost the flavor of the Bechamel. Some people like to add grated Parmesan cheese to the Bechamel sauce. I prefer to sprinkle it on top of the Pastitsio before cooking. Now you're ready to add the final layer to your masterpiece.
Cover the top of the Pastitsio noodles with a thick layer of Bechamel sauce. Be sure to poke some sauce down in to the corners and sides. Smooth out the sauce with a spatula or the back of a wooden spoon.
Top the Bechamel sauce with a sprinkling of grated Parmesan or Kefalotyri cheese and the Pastitsio is ready to go in to a 350 degree oven.
Bake the Pastitsio in a 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes or until crust turns a light golden brown. Be sure to let it cool for at least 20 minutes so that it can set before you cut it. Enjoy!
Did I forget to tell you that pastitsio in Greek translates to "messy kitchen?" All kidding aside, once you taste it, it will be well worth the clean up!