Greek Pasta Torte Food

PASTITSIO (GREEK PASTA BAKE)

Steps:

• Heat in a large pot over high heat. Add garlic and onion, cook for 2 - 3 minutes until onion is softened. Add beef and cook, breaking it up as you go, until it changes from red to brown.
• Add wine and and cook until the wine has mostly evaporated - about 3 minutes.
• Add remaining Meat Sauce ingredients. Stir well, bring to simmer, then reduce heat to medium / medium low so it's simmering gently. Cook for 45 min to 1 hour until liquid is mostly gone, stirring every now and then. It should be a thick mixture with little liquid, not saucy like Spaghetti Bolognese (Note 4).
• Remove from stove and cool. Preferably to room temperature, otherwise for at least 30 minutes before assembling (lid off).
• Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and stir for 1 minute.
• While stirring, slowly pour half the milk in. It should turn into a wet paste. Then again, while stirring, pour in remaining milk - the paste should easily dissolve so it's lump-free. If not, just whisk vigorously.
• Cook, stirring so the base doesn't catch, for 5 minutes or until thick enough so it coats the back of a wooden spoon thickly and you can draw a path across it with your finger.
• Remove from stove. Stir in nutmeg, cheese and salt.
• Leave to cool for 5 minutes. Then whisk in egg yolks quickly. Place lid on and set aside. If sauce cools and gets too thick to pour, just reheat on a low stove until pourable.
• When you're ready to assemble, cook the pasta per packet instructions, minus 1 minute.
• Drain, then return to the pot. Leave to cool for 3 minutes, then stir through egg whites. Gently stir through crumbled feta.
• Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (all oven types).
• Place pasta in a baking dish (33 x 22 x 7 cm / 9 x 13 x 2.75"), arranging them so they are all going in the same direction as best you can (for visual effect when sliced). Make the surface as level as you can.
• Top with Meat Sauce, then smooth the surface.
• Pour over Béchamel Sauce, then sprinkle over the cheese.
• Bake 30 min or until crust turns golden.
• Cool for at least 10 minutes so you can cut neat slices with tdhe layers neatly visible. Serve!

GREEK PASTITSIO RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Cook the pasta to al dante according to package instructions. Be sure to add salt and olive oil to the boiling water. Drain and transfer pasta to 9 1/2" x 13" baking pan like this one. While still hot, drizzle pasta with a little more extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle grated Parmesan. Toss to combine. Set aside for now.
• Make the meat sauce. In a large pan or skillet like this one, heat olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Saute onions until just golden, then add lean beef and garlic. Season with salt. Cook until meat is fully browned, tossing regularly and breaking up the meat with your wooden spoon (about 8 to 10 minutes). Carefully drain any excess liquid and return pan to heat. Add wine, crushed tomato, bay leaves, spices and pinch of sugar. Mix to combine. Bring to a boil for 5 minutes, then lower heat and let simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or so. Taste and adjust salt to your liking.
• While the meat sauce is cooking, prepare the bechamel. In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Stir in flour, salt and pepper. Cook until golden (if needed, added a little more olive oil). Gradually add the warmed milk, whisking continuously. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes, until smooth and thick. Add nutmeg.
• In a small bowl, whisk a small amount of the hot bechamel mixture with the 2 eggs in a small bowl. Then return all to the pan with the remaining bechamel mixture. Continue to stir or whisk the mixture bringing to a gentle boil for just 2 more minutes. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Remove from heat and allow to cool and thicken a little more (you should have a creamy, thick and smooth bechamel sauce).
• Assemble the pastitsio. Top the cooked pasta with the meat sauce; smooth with a wooden spoon to fully cover the pasta. Now top the meat sauce with the bechamel topping. Again, smooth with your wooden spoon to cover the meat sauce evenly.
• Bake the pastitsio in 350 degrees F heated-oven for 1 hour until golden brown. Remove from heat and set aside for 10 minutes before serving. Cut into square pieces and serve.

TORTA DI PASTA

Steps:

• Cook the spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Drain. Toss with the sun-dried tomatoes. Set aside to cool completely otherwise the hot pasta could curdle the eggs when you add them later on.
• In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, salt, and pepper, Parmesan, and fontina to blend. Add the cooled spaghetti mixture; toss to coat.
• Preheat the broiler. Melt the butter and oil in a 9 1/2-inch-diameter nonstick skillet over medium heat. Transfer the spaghetti mixture to the skillet, pressing to form an even layer. Cook until the bottom is golden brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer the skillet to the broiler. Broil until the top is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Cool in the skillet to room temperature.
• Invert the torta onto a platter. Cut into wedges and serve at room temperature.

GREEK PANTESPANI TOURTA (TORTE)

Steps:

• - BASE: eggs, flour, sugar, baking powder, vanilla, HERSHEY'S COCOA.
• Preheat oven at 350* F.
• In a bowl mix sugar, eggs & vanilla for 10 minutes. Add flour & baking powder and mix by hand. Take a little of mixture & stir separately with COCOA. Add all ingredients to bowl.
• Bake for 20 - 30 minutes.
• Let cool. Cut in 2 layers. (Now it is ready for syrup & frosting).
• - SYRUP: water, sugar, lemon.
• Boil everything for 5 minutes. Pour over both cake layers evenly (slowly).
• - FROSTING: powder sugar, butter, Cool Whip, Cocoa, egg, vanilla Greek coffee.
• Beat butter, eggs & vanilla. Add all other ingredients a little at a time alternating. Stir in coffee by hand.

SPAGHETTI TORTE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a 9x3 inch springform pan with cooking spray.
• Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Rinse with cold water, and drain.
• While spaghetti is cooking, combine Parmesan cheese, ricotta cheese, Italian seasoning, and egg whites in a large bowl. Toss with cooked spaghetti to coat.
• Press half the spaghetti mixture in bottom of prepared pan. Sprinkle with half the basil, and top with half the tomatoes and half the provolone cheese. Press remaining spaghetti mixture into pan, sprinkle with remaining basil, and top with remaining tomatoes. Place remaining provolone cheese over the top.
• Bake for 30 minutes. Let stand about 15 minutes, remove sides of pan, transfer to a serving platter. Cut into wedges to serve.

GREEK PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Plunge whole tomatoes in water briefly, until skin starts to peel. Remove with a slotted spoon and place in cold water. Add pasta to boiling water and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
• While pasta is cooking peel blanched tomatoes and chop.
• In a large skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil. Stir in garlic and mushrooms and saute until mushrooms begin to give up their juices. Stir in tomatoes and oregano and cook until tomatoes are tender.
• To serve, plate pasta, top with hot tomato sauce and sprinkle with feta and olives.

GREEK PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Tip the fusilli into a large pan of boiling salted water and boil for 10 minutes. Throw in the spinach, stir well and boil for another 2 minutes. Drain into a colander or sieve and leave to drip-dry.
• Tip the tomatoes, olives and feta into a big bowl, grind lots of black pepper over and then drizzle with the olive oil.
• Toss in the drained pasta and spinach, and let everyone help themselves.