Greek Pastitsio With Lentils Food

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.

VEGETABLE PASTITSIO WITH LENTILS

Steps:

• Cook lentils, one clove of garlic and bay until tender. When done, drain any excess liquid and bay leaf. Smash garlic into lentils.
• cook onion and garlic in pan until onion is transparent. Add the fresh vegetables and cook until they are partially cooked. Add tomatoes, wine and salt and pepper, cook for 15 minutes.
• Add lentils to vegetables and cook until ready to layer.
• Boil noodles to al dente (8-10 minutes).
• drain when done and toss with olive oil and parmesan.
• Cover and set aside.
• Preheat oven to 350.
• Melt butter in saucepan, add flour and whisk 1-2 minutes.
• Add hot milk and cook until it starts to thicken.
• Remove from heat and add nutmeg and salt.
• Add eggs slowly.
• Layer in baking dish vegetable/lentil mix, noodles, half of feta, vegetables, noodles, more feta, bechamel sauce and parmesan.
• Bake covered for 25 minutes.
• Uncover and let cook until bubbly and brown.

GREEK PASTITSIO WITH LENTILS

Steps:

• Cook the macaroni in enough boiling water to cover for about 10 minutes, and drain. Cool under cold running water and reserve.
• Cook the lentils in 4 cups boiling water for about 25 minutes or until tender. Drain.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a large skillet heat the oil. When hot, add the onion, and saute for 2 minutes. Add the wine, and simmer for 10 minutes or until the wine has evaporated and the onion is tender. Add the cinnamon, tomato sauce and lentils; simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.
• In a medium-size saucepan heat the milk. Whisk in the oat bran and nutmeg, and simmer for 1 minute, stirring constantly; remove from the heat. Stir the macaroni into the milk mixture, and mix well.
• Spoon half the macaroni mixture onto the bottom of a 9-inch-square baking pan. Spoon half the lentil mixture on top, spreading evenly. Repeat with the remaining macaroni and lentils. Sprinkle on the cheese. Cover with foil, and bake for 15 minutes or until the pastitsio is hot.

PASTITSIO WITH LAMB AND SAUSAGE

Steps:

• For the bechamel sauce: Melt the butter over medium-high heat in a saucepot, and then whisk in the flour 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk and season with some salt, pepper and a little nutmeg. Cook until the sauce thickens enough to coat a spoon and adjust the seasoning once more. Pour a ladleful of the sauce into a bowl with the yolks, whisking to temper the eggs before adding into the pot. Stir in the cheese and remove from the heat. For the spicy meat sauce: Heat 2 turns of the pan EVOO in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the lamb and sausage well, breaking up the meat as it cooks. Stir in the bay leaf, garlic, onions and peppers and sprinkle with the rosemary, some salt and pepper. Cook until the onions soften, 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook until fragrant, then pour in the wine and reduce by half. Add the stock and tomatoes, breaking them up as they cook, and reduce the heat to a simmer. Throw in the citrus rind and cinnamon stick to mellow the sauce, and simmer until the tomatoes cook down, 30 minutes. Discard the rind, cinnamon stick and bay leaf. For the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta to al dente. Just before draining the pasta, add 1 cup of the starchy cooking liquid to your sauce. Beat the egg whites until frothy and combine with the cheese, and then toss with the pasta. For assembly: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with EVOO. Spoon in half of the pasta, then layer with all of the meat sauce followed by the remaining pasta. Pour all of the bechamel on top as the last layer. (Cool and store for a make-ahead meal, bringing to room temperature before baking and serving.) Set the pastitsio on a baking sheet to catch any drips and bake until deeply golden on top, 1 hour. Cool 15 to 20 minutes, then cut and serve.

GREEK PASTITSIO

Steps:

• Cook macaroni; drain, and return to pan.
• Stir in the melted butter, 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, 1/3 cup milk, and the egg; set aside.
• In a a skillet or large saucepan, cook ground beef and onion until meat loses its pinkness and onion is soft; drain excess fat.
• Stir in tomato sauce, the 1 teaspoon salt, mint flakes (if used), cinnamon, nutmeg and pepper; set aside.
• In a saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter, then mix in flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
• Slowly stir in the 2 cups milk, stirring well after each addition so that no lumps form.
• Cook and stir on medium high until cream sauce starts to thicken; stir for one minute more, then remove from heat.
• Beat egg in a small bowl, then pour into cream sauce, stirring briskly.
• Blend in the 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese.
• Layer half the pasta mixture in a 11" x 7" (or 2 quart) baking dish.
• Spoon the meat mixture evenly on top, then the remaining pasta.
• Pour cream sauce over top, to cover completely.
• Bake, uncovered, at 350F for about 40 minutes, or until hot and lightly browned.
• Let stand for 10 minutes.

VEGETARIAN PASTITSIO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Heat olive oil and butter over medium heat in a large skillet.
• Add onions, eggplant, garlic and seasonings. Cover and let saute, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes.
• Add tomatoes and lentils with a little liquid. Cook until very thick.
• Stir in tomato paste and heat through. Adjust seasonings to taste.
• Butter a large casserole of oblong baking dish and layer half of the noodles across the bottom. Sprinkle one third of the parmesan over the noodles. Layer half of the sauce over noodles and parmesan.
• Layer the remaining half of the noodles over the sauce, sprinkle with one third of the parmesan and cover with the remaining sauce. *You could refrigerate it at this point if you want to make it ahead of time.
• Custard Sauce:.
• Heat butter in a saucepan over low heat, stir in flour, and let roux cook a few minutes.
• Pour in heated milk, stirring with a whisk.
• Slowly whisk sauce into beaten eggs.
• Pour sauce over entire casserole. It should drain through to the bottom and bind the whole thing together. If it sits on top, slide a butter knife in and out of the layers in a few places.
• Sprinkle with remaining parmesan and cover.
• Bake for 1 hour.
• Serve very hot.