Description
Pastitsio is a type of Greek pasta dish prepared with a mix of lamb nad or beef then spiced with cloves and cinnamon cooked in tomatoes and red wine.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat Sauce
- 400 g lean minced beef
- 400 g lean minced lamb
- 400 g chopped tomatoes
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp honey
- 200 ml red wine
- 1 pc bay leaf
- 1 pc cinnamon stick
- 1 pc clove
- 2 medium sized red onions, finely chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- olive oil
- sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Pasta
- 500g penne
- 100g feta cheese, crumbed
- 2 eggs
Béchamel
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 cup butter
- 3 1/2 cups full cream milk
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
Instructions
Meat Sauce
- In a large pan add olive oil then sauté onions until soft.
- Add the garlic then continue to sauté until fragrant.
- Add the tomato paste, beef and lamb then cook until they are all separated and light brown in colour.
- Pour the red wine then bring it to a boil. Add the tomatoes, honey, cinnamon, clove, bay leaf then season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook in medium heat while covered for 30 minutes, stir it occasionally.
- Once cooked remove the bay leaf, clove and cinnamon. Set it aside.
Pasta
- Under cook your pasta by 3 minutes according to packet instructions.
- Drain pasta then stir in the eggs and feta cheese. Set it aside.
Béchamel
- In a pot melt the butter in medium low heat.
- Once butter is totally melted, slowly add the flour while continuously whisking it until it forms into a roux.
- Slowly add the milk while continuously whisking. Cook in very low heat until the sauce is thick. Remove from heat then add the egg yolks, Parmigiano-Reggiano and nutmeg, whisk to combine evenly.
Pastichio
- In a large baking dish, grease the bottom and sides with small amount of olive oil.
- Lay down the pasta then top with meat sauce, do this in three layers.
- Pour béchamel sauce on top then place in a 180C preheated oven and bake for 40-50 minutes or until its cooked and top is golden brown. Let it cool for 10 minutes then serve.