Pastitsio (Greek Pasta Bake)
Pastitsio (Greek Pasta Bake)

Hey everyone, it is John, welcome to our recipe page. Today, I’m gonna show you how to make a special dish, pastitsio (greek pasta bake). It is one of my favorites. For mine, I am going to make it a bit tasty. This is gonna smell and look delicious.

Browse Our Selection Of Delicious Greek Orzo Pasta. Delicious Greek Greek Pasta Imported From Greece. The Pastitsio (or Pastichio) is a famous Greek pasta bake with a spiced meat sauce and a silky béchamel. It's ideal for a delicious Sunday dinner and it also freezes very well.

Pastitsio (Greek Pasta Bake) is one of the most favored of current trending foods in the world. It’s enjoyed by millions daily. It is simple, it’s quick, it tastes yummy. They are fine and they look fantastic. Pastitsio (Greek Pasta Bake) is something that I’ve loved my entire life.

To begin with this particular recipe, we have to first prepare a few ingredients. You can have pastitsio (greek pasta bake) using 18 ingredients and 13 steps. Here is how you cook it.

The ingredients needed to make Pastitsio (Greek Pasta Bake):
  1. Get 2 lb ground beef or lamb
  2. Take 1 large onion - diced
  3. Make ready 2 clove garlic - minced
  4. Get 1 cup tomato sauce (approx 1 - 8 oz can)
  5. Make ready 1/2 cup dry red wine - I use shiraz
  6. Prepare 1 can petite diced tomatoes (14.5 oz can)
  7. Take 1 tbsp parsley
  8. Take 1 tsp salt
  9. Take 1 tsp cinnamon
  10. Get 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  11. Prepare 1/4 tsp pepper
  12. Prepare 1 lb pasta - macaroni or ziti
  13. Take 4 eggs - divided
  14. Get 1 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese - divided
  15. Make ready 2 tbsp olive oil
  16. Take 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
  17. Take 1 cup ap flour
  18. Get 3 cup milk

Sometimes referred to as Greek lasagna, this pasta bake is perfectly stacked into distinctive layers that look beautifully uniform when cut into individual servings. Pastitsio can be called the Greek lasagna due to the similarities between the two dishes. It has layers of creamy rich béchamel sauce, a heartwarming beef ragù sauce, and pasta. Traditionally a hollow "fat" pasta noodle is used that is a perfect vehicle for sauces and serves as a great base for baked casseroles like macaroni and cheese.

Steps to make Pastitsio (Greek Pasta Bake):
  1. Preheat oven to 375° and grease/spray a 13x9 baking dish.
  2. In a large skillet - brown ground beef and onion. Drain. Add garlic and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
  3. Add in tomato sauce, wine, can of undrained diced tomatoes and seasonings. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste - adjust seasoning if desired.
  4. While meat is simmering - cook pasta. Do not overcook - pasta should be just shy of al dente.
  5. Drain pasta. Return pasta to pot and mix in olive oil, 2 beaten eggs and 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese.
  6. Now start the bechamel/white sauce. In a large saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Add in flour and whisk until it's a smooth paste. Cook for a minute or two but do not brown.
  7. Slowly add in milk and cook for a few minutes, whisking constantly, until sauce thickens.
  8. Remove from heat. Season to taste with salt, pepper & a bit of nutmeg. Mix in 2 beaten eggs & remaining 1 cup of parmesan cheese. This will be a very thick sauce - if it's too thick to work with you can add a bit more milk.
  9. Assembly time : ) Spread half of the pasta mixture evenly on the bottom of the casserole dish - make sure bottom is completely covered.
  10. Evenly spread the entire meat mixture over bottom pasta layer.
  11. Top meat with remaining pasta.
  12. Pour the bechamel/sauce on top of noodles. With a spoon spread sauce making sure to get edges and corners. Sauce should be nearly to top of casserole dish - you may have a little leftover.
  13. Bake for 45 minutes - top will be golden brown. Let rest for 20 minutes before cutting. Enjoy : )

It has layers of creamy rich béchamel sauce, a heartwarming beef ragù sauce, and pasta. Traditionally a hollow "fat" pasta noodle is used that is a perfect vehicle for sauces and serves as a great base for baked casseroles like macaroni and cheese. Traditional Greek pastitsio (παστίτσιο, pastítsio) is an authentic Greek Lasagne - a baked dish that combines layers of pasta, ground meat and velvety béchamel sauce to create the ultimate comfort food. Layer the pasta, top with the meat sauce and even out. Top the pastitsio with the bechamel sauce and smooth out with a spatula.

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