Pastitsio Greek Lasagna Food

PASTITSIO - GREEK LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Cook pasta and drain.
• While pasta is cooking, brown meat in heavy skillet, add onion and garlic and cook until soft.
• Mix in cinnamon and tomato sauce.
• In a saucepan, melt butter, whisk in flour and cook 1 minute, whisk in milk and simmer 20 minutes.
• Add beaten eggs and 1/4 cup parmesan to white sauce.
• In a buttered two quart casserole dish, add half pasta, top with meat mixture, add the rest of the pasta.
• Pour white sauce over the top.
• Sprinkle with remaining parmesan cheese.
• Bake 60 minutes.

PASTITSIO (GREEK LASAGNA)

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Whisk in the flour and then gradually whisk in the hot milk. Cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce is smooth and thickened. Stir in the salt, remove from heat and let cool. When the sauce is lukewarm, whisk in the eggs. Set aside.
• Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large skillet. Add the onions and saute until softened and golden. Crumble the beef into the skillet and cook with the onions until the beef is browned. Stir in the cinnamon, salt and pepper. Stir in the water and tomato paste, and simmer for 5 minutes. Set aside.
• Cook ziti according to directions on the package. Drain and rinse with cool water. When pasta has cooled down, stir in the beaten eggs and 1½ teaspoons salt.
• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a deep 9x13-inch casserole dish with nonstick spray. You really need a deep casserole dish for this recipe (deeper than the usual 9x13-inch pyrex).
• Scoop half of the pasta into the bottom of your prepared dish. Sprinkle generously with cheese. Spoon on the meat mixture to create an even layer; sprinkle with another layer of cheese. Scoop the remaining pasta on top of the meat and sprinkle with more cheese! Top with the cream sauce and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
• Bake 45 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and golden on top. Let sit at room temperature for at least 20 minutes before serving (but it is suggested that you refrigerate to let the layers set... and then warm up later to serve).

PASTITSIO

Steps:

• Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in onion and cook until it begins to soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in the ground beef, and cook until crumbly and no longer pink. Pour in the water and tomato paste. Season with salt, pepper, allspice, nutmeg, and cinnamon; cover, and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, adjust salt to taste, then refrigerate until cold. Once cold, remove any congealed fat, and thoroughly mix with 2 beaten eggs, and set aside.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add macaroni and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain, and rinse under cold water to cool. Mix the macaroni in 2 beaten eggs until well coated.
• Evenly spread half of the macaroni mixture into a 11x14x2 inch baking pan, sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the grated parmesan cheese, and drizzle with 1/2 cup of melted butter. Spread the meat mixture overtop, then finish with the remaining macaroni. Sprinkle the macaroni with another 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese, and drizzle with 1/2 cup of melted butter.
• Whisk together 4 beaten eggs with the half-and-half, 1 cup of Parmesan cheese, flour, and salt; whisk until well blended. Pour the cream mixture evenly over top of the pastitsio, and sprinkle with nutmeg.
• Cover the pan with foil, and bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove the foil, and bake until the top has turned golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven, and allow to stand for 15 minutes before serving.

PASTITSIO (GREEK-STYLE LASAGNA)

Steps:

• Brown meat with onions in large skillet; drain. Stir in pasta sauce and vinegar; simmer on low heat 15 min., stirring occasionally.
• Meanwhile, melt butter in large saucepan on low heat. Add milk; bring to boil on medium heat, stirring constantly. Simmer on low heat 3 to 5 min. or until thickened, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Stir in yogurt and nutmeg. Add macaroni; mix lightly.
• Heat oven to 350ºF. Spread meat sauce onto bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; top with macaroni mixture and cheese.
• Bake 45 to 50 min. or until macaroni mixture is heated through and top is lightly browned.

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 PASTITSIO RECIPE (GREEK LASAGNA WITH BéCHAMEL)

Steps:

• To prepare this traditional pastitsio recipe (pastichio), start with the meat sauce. Place a large pan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil, the chopped onions and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic, tomato paste and the beef. Break up the meat with a wooden spoon and brown for 4-5 minutes. Pour in the red wine and wait to evaporate. Add the canned tomatoes, the sugar, cinnamon, clove, the bay leaf and season. Bring to the boil, turn the heat down and simmer with the lid on for about 30 minutes, until most of the juices have evaporated. (After the meat is cooked, discard the bay leaf, the clove and the cinnamon)
• Prepare the bechamel sauce for the pastitsio. Melt the butter in a large pan over low-medium heat. Add the flour whisking continuously to make a paste. Add warmed milk in small batches, whisking continuously in order to prevent your sauce from getting lumpy. If the sauce still needs to thicken, boil over low heat whilst continuing to stir. Remove the pan from the stove and add the egg yolks, salt, pepper, a pinch of nutmeg and the grated cheese (50g/ 1.7oz.). Whisk quickly, in order to prevent the eggs from turning an omelette! Season with salt to taste.
• Cook the pasta for the pastitsio 2-3 minutes less than the package instructions, so that they don't get mushy after turning out of the oven later. Drain the pasta and stir in the egg whites and the feta cheese (smashed with a fork) and mix gently with a spatula.
• For this pastitsio recipe you will need a large baking dish, approx. 25*35 cm / 10*14 inch. Butter the bottom and sides of a pan and assemble the pastitsio. Layer the pasta, top with the meat sauce and even out. Top the pastitsio with the bechamel sauce and smooth out with a spatula.
• Sprinkle the pastichio with grated cheese and bake in preheated oven at 180C (350F) Fan for about 40 minutes, until crust turns a light golden brown. Let the pastitsio cool down for a while before serving.

PASTITSIO (GREEK LASAGNA)

Steps:

• 1. Saute onion in large skillet in butter till soft. Stir in ground beef till lightly browned season with salt, cinnamon & oregano. Stir in tomato puree, garlic & parsley. Cover & simmer gently for 20 minutes. Cook macaroni al dente; add a little salt.
• 2. Melt butter in pan and blend in flour (use a whisk to blend well).
• 3. Stir in milk & cook stirring constantly to make a thin white sauce. Beat egg yolks lightly in another dish. Dip out 1 cup of the sauce and pour it in a thin stream & stirring constantly into the yolk mixture until well blended. Pour mixture back into the rest of the sauce and stir for a few minutes over medium heat till it thickens. Add your nutmeg, salt and pepper.
• 4. Grease 9x13 casserole dish and then put in a thin layer of macaroni.
• 5. Next, layer with the meat sauce. Finish with layer of macaroni.
• 6. Pour the creamy sauce over all of it. Jiggle the pan so the sauce runs through all the layers and then sprinkle with the top with parmesan cheese.
• 7. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Put foil over the top if it starts to get to brown. Remove from oven and let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes before cutting and serving. Enjoy.
• 8. Slice into squares and serve.
• 9. May 14th, 2015 ---- Made up a pan of this for dinner.

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!

PASTITSIO (GREEK LASAGNA)

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, saute onions in butter until opaque. Crumble beef into saucepan and brown.well. Drain off the fat.
• Add salt, pepper, tomato sauce, water and sugar. Stir well and simmer 35-40 minutes. At this point there should be very little water in the sauce.
• Remove from heat and cool. The meat sauce can be made ahead of time.
• In a saucepan, melt butter and then add in the flour, stiring constantly using a wire whisk. Gradually add the warm milk, stirring vigorously until sauce thickens. Add nutmeg, remove from heat and cool.
• When ready to use meat sauce, add half of the bread crumbs and 1 1/4 cups parmesan cheese. Stir well and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Cook the macaroni per package directions in boiling salted water until almost al dente. Drain well, stir in the olive oil and set aside.
• Butter an 11x17 inch baking pan and sprinkle with 2 tbsp bread crumbs. Spread half of the macaroni across the baking pan and sprinkle 1/2 cup cheese over top.
• Beat the eggs in a bowl using a wire whisk and add in 1/2 cup of the cooled bechamel sauce. Stir well and then add egg mixture into the rest of the bechamel sauce. Add the cheese and stir well.
• Cover macaroni layer with meat sauce. Pour half of the bechamel sauce over the meat and cover with remaining macaroni. Sprinkle 1/2 cup cheese over macaroni layer.
• Top macaroni layer with remaining bechamel sauce and top with remaining bread crumbs and cheese.
• Cook in the oven on a center rack for 50 minutes or until golden brown. Let sit 20 minutes to firm up before cutting and serving.
• This casserole freezes well and is easy to reheat. Place the frozen pastitsio, covered loosely with foil, in a 350 degree oven for 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours or until heated through.

GREEK LASAGNA

Steps:

• Cook lasagne according to package directions; drain.
• Preheat oven to 350ºF. Warm oil in a large saucepan over low heat.
• Add onion, garlic and eggplant. Cover and let vegetables cook until very soft, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, stir together the Ricotta, Feta and yogurt.
• When vegetables are done, stir in tomato sauce. Remove from heat and set aside 1 cup of eggplant mixture.
• In a 9 × 13 × 2-inch baking dish, spread a little of the eggplant mixture over the bottom and cover with 3 pieces of lasagne. Spoon some of the Ricotta over the lasagne. Continue to layer with eggplant mixture, lasagne, and Ricotta. Place a layer of lasagne on top. Spread the reserved eggplant over lasagne and sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes, until cheese is brown.

PASTITSIO

Steps:

• Heat the oil in the pot
• Saute the onions and garlic
• Add the tomatoes, herbs, spices and salt and pepper and stir well
• Simmer until aromatic and thickened
• Turn off the heat
• Boil the pasta in saltwater until just cooked and drain
• Beat the two egg whites and add to the pasta along with the cheese and stir
• For the Bechamel, melt the butter in another pot or saucepan
• Add the flour and stir constantly with a whisk or wooden spoon until a smooth paste
• Gradually pour in the milk and whisk over heat until a thick creamy sauce is achieved
• Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg
• Add the eggs and 1/2 cup of cheese stirring constantly
• In a large, deep pan arrange half the pasta evenly inside
• Cover with the meat sauce
• Cover with the rest of the pasta
• Cover with the Bechamel sauce and garnish with the rest of the cheese
• Bake for approximately 1 hour or until Golden Brown

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.

PASTITSIO - GREEK BAKED ZITI/LASAGNA

Steps:

• Add the olive oil to a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the ground beer and lamb and cook for 5-6 minutes, or just until you do not see any more pink.
• Add the onion and garlic and continue to cook until the onions are soft and the garlic is very fragrant, about 4-5 minutes. Salt and pepper generously.
• Pour the white wine into the sauté pan and stir. Allow the wine to reduce by at least half before adding the tomato puree, oregano, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon nutmeg, and allspice.
• Bring the sauce to a simmer and allow to simmer for 20-30 minutes or until the sauce is quick thick. Set aside.
• While the tomato sauce is simmering, bring your water for the pasta in a stock pot to a boil. Cook the pasta as per the directions on the packaging except cut back the time by 1-2 minutes so that you don't end up with super mushy noodles in the end.
• While the pasta is cooking begin preparing the béchamel sauce by melting the butter in a large sauté pan. Once melted, slowly add the flour, whisking continuously to fully incorporate the fat and flour to make a roux. Continuing whisking for 2-3 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste.
• Slowly add the milk to the roux, again whisking continuously.
• Add the 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg and allspice to the béchamel and let cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• Place the egg yolks in a small bowl, and, while mixing them continuously, slowly add a tablespoon of the béchamel to the yolks at a time. Do this 4 or 5 times to temper the eggs. Then add the egg mixture to the béchamel and whisk to combine fully. Set aside. Note: DO NOT dump the yolks directly into the hot béchamel sauce without tempering them first or else you will end up with scrambled eggs.
• Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
• Once the pasta is cooked, strain it. Place 1/2 cup of butter in the empty stock pot and, once melted, add the ziti along with the egg whites. Toss to combine but be careful not to break the noodles.
• To assemble the pastitsio, in a 13 by 9 pyrex baking dish, apply a layer of cooking spray so that the food does not adhere to the dish. Then, spread the ziti across the bottom of the dish, being sure to evenly distribute the noodles. Then, place the tomato sauce on the ziti. Top the tomato sauce with the béchamel, making sure that the entire dish is covered. Sprinkle the freshly grated parmesan cheese on top and place in the over, uncovered, for 45 minutes or until the cheese and béchamel sauce start to brown slightly. Allow to rest for 5-10 minutes.
• Serve by cutting square or rectangular pieces (just as if you were serving lasagna).

PASTITSIO

Steps:

• Start cooking the pasta.
• While pasta is cooking, separate meat in a skillet or shallow pan. When a little brown, add 1 to 2 cans of tomato paste. Add salt, pepper, nutmeg and cinnamon; and a little water to help cook if necessary.
• While the meat is cooking start on the crema (bechamel style sauce). Mix the eggs with the milk in large pot. Add in 1 cup of flour and whisk constantly until it thickens and all lumps are gone. Add the remaining flour at 1/4 cup at a time if needed (the mixture will be very thick). Turn heat to low and continue stirring constantly. Once lumps are gone and the consistency is correct, add the butter and 1 cup of the parmesan, and stir in.
• Drain the pasta and mix in about one and a half cups of the crema and 3/4 cup of the remaining parmesan. Put half of the pasta mixture into a greased 9x13 dish (if you have a deeper or larger one I would use that). Layer meat on top of noodles. Add remaining pasta on top of the meat and then spread all of the crema on top. Sprinkle with remaining parmesan.
• Bake at 170C/fan for 45-50 minutes or until top is slightly brown and let it cool 15 minutes before cutting.
• Serve with a small Greek or Italian salad and enjoy!