Pastitsio

Yes, the Greek dish with macaroni, meat, cheese and béchamel. The dish that when you order it in a restaurant, you feel a little guilty about the calories and then you are giddy with excitement. We tried this recipe from Saveur, and we were somewhat surprised how delicious and easy it was. I say somewhat because there are a few steps and a bunch of pots, and the mastering of the wonderful béchamel sauce. So here is the recipe.

What you’ll need:
9”x13” backing dish
A big skillet
A couple of pots

Ingredients

For the Meat Sauce:

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil – EVOO
2 green bell peppers, cored, seeded and diced
2 medium yellow onions, diced
1-pound ground beef (you can use pork or veal)
3 oz. dry-cured chorizo cut into small cubes
2 cups canned crushed tomatoes
1/3 cup red wine
1 / 4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 bay leaves (dried or fresh)
1 2” cinnamon stick
Salt, pepper and nutmeg

For Béchamel and Pasta:

8 tablespoons butter (1 stick)
1 cup flour
4 cups milk (use whole milk – if you are going with it, go all the way!)
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 eggs, separated
Salt and pepper
1-pound pasta – I used elbows, but you can use whatever you want!
2 tablespoons of EVOO

Make the meat sauce: Heat oil in a 12″ skillet over medium-high heat. Add peppers and onions and cook, stirring often, until soft, 8-10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer onion mixture to a plate and set aside. Add ground meat and chorizo to skillet and cook, breaking meat up into tiny pieces, until browned, 6-8 minutes. Add reserved onion mixture, along with tomatoes, wine, chili flakes, bay leaves, and cinnamon and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until sauce thickens, about 15 minutes. Remove sauce from heat, discard bay leaves and cinnamon, and season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg; let cool.

Make the béchamel: Heat butter in a 4-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour and cook, whisking constantly, until smooth and slightly toasted, 1-2 minutes. Add milk; cook, whisking often, until sauce coats the back of a spoon, 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat, add 3⁄4 cup cheese and egg yolks; season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir until smooth; set aside.

Heat oven to 350°. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; add pasta and cook halfway through, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk egg whites in a large bowl until frothy. Stir in remaining cheese; drain pasta in a colander and then toss with egg white-cheese mixture to coat evenly. Set aside.

Grease a deep 9″ x 13″ baking dish with olive oil. Place half the pasta mixture on bottom of dish and cover evenly with meat sauce. Top with remaining pasta mixture. Pour béchamel over pasta, spreading it evenly with a rubber spatula. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 1 hour. Transfer to wire rack; cool 20 minutes before serving.

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Pastitsio

(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

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By Saveur Magazine – Serves: 10-12

Prep Time: 30 minutes – Cooking Time: 1 hour

Yes, the Greek dish with macaroni, meat, cheese and béchamel. The dish that when you order it in a restaurant, you feel a little guilty about the calories and then you are giddy with excitement. We tried this recipe from Saveur, and we were surprised how delicious and easy. I say somewhat because there are a few steps and a bunch of pots, and the mastering of the wonderful béchamel sauce. So here is the recipe.

Ingredients

• Ingredients
• For the Meat Sauce:
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil - EVOO
• 2 green bell peppers, corded, seeded and diced
• 2 medium yellow onions, diced
• 1-pound ground beef (you can use pork or veal)
• 3 oz. dry-cured chorizo cut into small cubes
• 2 cups canned crushed tomatoes
• 1/3 cup red wine
• 1 / 4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 bay leaves (dried or fresh)
• 1 2” cinnamon stick
• Salt, pepper and nutmeg
• For Béchamel and Pasta
• 8 tablespoons butter (1 stick)
• 1 cup flour
• 4 cups milk (use whole milk – if you are going with it, go all the way!)
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 eggs, separated
• Salt and pepper
• 1-pound pasta – I used elbows, but you can use whatever you want!
• 2 tablespoons of EVOO

Instructions

1

Make the meat sauce: Heat oil in a 12" skillet over medium-high heat. Add peppers and onions and cook, stirring often, until soft, 8-10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer onion mixture to a plate and set aside. Add ground meat and chorizo to skillet and cook, breaking meat up into tiny pieces, until browned, 6-8 minutes. Add reserved onion mixture, along with tomatoes, wine, chili flakes, bay leaves, and cinnamon and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until sauce thickens, about 15 minutes. Remove sauce from heat, discard bay leaves and cinnamon, and season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg; let cool.

2

Make the béchamel: Heat butter in a 4-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour and cook, whisking constantly, until smooth and slightly toasted, 1-2 minutes. Add milk; cook, whisking often, until sauce coats the back of a spoon, 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat, add 3⁄4 cup cheese and egg yolks; season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir until smooth; set aside.

3

Heat oven to 350°. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; add pasta and cook halfway through, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk egg whites in a large bowl until frothy. Stir in remaining cheese; drain pasta in a colander and then toss with egg white-cheese mixture to coat evenly. Set aside.

4

Grease a deep 9" x 13" baking dish with olive oil. Place half the pasta mixture on bottom of dish and cover evenly with meat sauce. Top with remaining pasta mixture. Pour béchamel over pasta, spreading it evenly with a rubber spatula. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 1 hour. Transfer to wire rack; cool 20 minutes before serving.