Greek Style Shell Pasta Food

PASTITSIO

Steps:

• For the sauce, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large pot. Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes. Add the beef and lamb, and saute over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until it's no longer pink, crumbling it with the back of wooden spoon. Drain off any excess liquid, add the wine, and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the garlic, cinnamon, oregano, thyme, and cayenne, and continue cooking over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 40 to 45 minutes. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• For the bechamel, heat the milk and cream together in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until simmering. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Add the flour and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly for 2 minutes. Pour the warm milk and cream mixture into the butter and flour mixture, whisking constantly. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes, until smooth and thick. Add the nutmeg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Stir in 3/4 cup of Parmesan cheese, 1/2 cup of the tomato and meat sauce, and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Stir in the eggs and yogurt and set aside.
• Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water until al dente. Don't over-cook because the pasta will later be baked. Drain and set aside.
• Add the pasta to the meat and tomato sauce, and pour the mixture into a baking dish. Spread the bechamel evenly to cover the pasta and sprinkle with the remaining 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Bake for 1 hour, until golden brown and bubbly. Set aside for 10 minutes and serve hot.

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.

GREEK STYLE SHELL PASTA

Steps:

• Slice the radicchio finely and cut the tomatoes into small cubes. Add to a salad bowl.
• Peel the onion and cucumber and slice them finely. Break the feta cheese into pieces and add to bowl.
• Add majoram, salt and pepper to taste and 3 tablespoons of oil. Toss salad gently.
• Cook pasta according to directions until al dente. Remove from heat and drain. Run pasta under cold water and drain.
• Add pasta to salad bowl and mix well so that all ingredients combine. Add 2 more tablespoons of oil just before serving.
• Tip. Toss salad gently so that ingredients do not mash.

GREEK STYLE PASTA WITH SHRIMP AND FETA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
• Cut onion into thin slices and mince garlic cloves.
• In a large skillet, warm the olive oil over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the mixture is golden, about 5 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes, oregano, basil and pepper, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat , breaking up the tomatoes with a spoon. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, while you cook the pasta and prepare the shrimp.
• Add the pasta to the boiloing water and cook until al dente 10 to 12 minutes, or according to package directions .
• Shell and devein the shrimp.
• Uncover the sauce and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 3 minutes.
• Add the olives and half the feta cheese and stir to combine.
• Drain the pasta and serve topped with the shrimp and sauce. Garnish each serving with remaining feta cheese.

SEAFOOD PASTA

Steps:

• Heat oil (2tbls) in large saucepan, add onion and garlic, fry for about 5 minutes, until softened.
• Pour the wine into the saucepan and bring to a boil.
• Add tomatoes and their juice, the sugar, chopped herbs, salt and pepper and let simmer for 15-20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook the macaroni in a large saucepan of boiling salted water for 10-12 minutes or till tender.
• Drain the pasta and return to pan.
• Add the remaining 1 tbl oil and toss together.
• Add seafood to tomato sauce and simmer for 3-4 minutes until heated through.
• Serve the seafood on top of the pasta.

GREEK-STYLE SHRIMP PASTA WITH KALE

Steps:

• Pour tomatoes into a fine-mesh sieve set over a medium bowl. Shake to release as much juice as possible, then let tomatoes drain in sieve, collecting juices in bowl, until ready to use.
• Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large Dutch oven or other large heavy pot over high. Add drained tomatoes and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to caramelize, about 12 minutes. Add wine and cook, scraping up browned bits, until reduced by half, about 1 minute. Add collected tomato juices, oregano, red pepper, and 1 1/2 tsp. salt and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until very al dente, 3 minutes less than package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking liquid.
• Working in batches, add kale to tomato sauce, stirring after each addition, until all kale is wilted. Using a spider or slotted spoon, transfer pasta to pot with sauce. Add shrimp, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally and adding pasta cooking liquid if needed to loosen sauce, until pasta is al dente, shrimp are cooked through, and everything is nicely coated in sauce, about 3 minutes.
• Divide pasta among bowls. Top with feta and drizzle with oil.

GREEK STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Boil water. Cook shells for 10 minutes. Drain; run under cold water to stop any further cooking.
• For the sauce, combine yogurt, cucumbers, garlic powder, 1/2 tsp dillweed, and 1 Tbsp lemon juice. Cover and let chill in the refrigerator.
• Combine cheese, 1/2 tsp dill, 2 Tbsp lemon juice, tomatoes, egg, and olives.
• Preheat oven to 350°F Spread the bottom of 13x9 pan with some of the sauce. Place shells on top. Stuff with the cheese mixture. Pour remaining sauce on top. Cover with foil. Bake for 35 minutes.

GREEK PASTA SHELLS SALAD

Steps:

• Gradually add pasta shells to 4 quarts rapidly boiling water. If desired, add salt. Boil 8 to 10 minutes, or until tender, stirring frequently. Drain and rinse with cold water.
• In large bowl combine pasta shells and all other ingredients and mix well. Cover and chill thoroughly.

GREEK STYLE PASTA

Steps:

• Bring pot of lightly salted water to boil and add pasta.
• Cook until al dente.
• Meanwhile, in large frying pan, saute peppers and onion in olive oil for 3 minutes.
• Add artichokes and cherry tomatoes.
• Saute an additional 2 minutes.
• Add chicken broth to pan and heat through.
• Toss in feta cheese, olives and oregano.
• Stir over low heat until cheese begins to melt.
• Serve over hot pasta.
• Squeeze lemon juice over top.