Pastitsio
A classic Greek casserole with layers of spiced meat sauce, tubular pasta, and delicate cheese béchamel.
Ingredients
- tubular pasta400 g
- beef mince500 g
- onion1 pcs
- garlic3 cloves
- olive oil2 tbsp
- dry red wine100 ml
- tomato puree400 ml
- water250 ml
- ground cinnamon0.5 tsp
- ground cloves0.25 tsp
- bay leaf1 leaf
- salt1 to taste
- black pepper1 to taste
- butter60 g
- wheat flour60 g
- milk700 ml
- eggs2 pcs
- hard cheese150 g
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Boil the pasta in plenty of salted water until al dente, 1–2 minutes less than the package instructions state; drain.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Sauté the finely chopped onion for 5 minutes until translucent, add the minced garlic, and cook for another 1 minute.
Add the ground beef and cook for 8–10 minutes, breaking up any lumps, until the meat is browned. Pour in the red wine and let it reduce for 2 minutes.
Add the tomato purée, water, cinnamon, ground cloves, bay leaf, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes, until the sauce has thickened; remove the bay leaf.
For the béchamel, melt the butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Gradually pour in the milk, whisking constantly; cook for 6–8 minutes until thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in the eggs, half of the hard cheese, salt, and black pepper.
Mix the pasta with half of the béchamel and spread it evenly in a baking dish. Spoon the meat sauce over the top, cover with the remaining pasta, and pour over the rest of the béchamel.
Sprinkle the pastitsio with the remaining hard cheese and bake for 40–45 minutes, until the top is golden.
Let the casserole rest for 15 minutes, then cut into portions and serve.
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