Pastitsio Without The Pasta Food

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 II

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti and cook until tender yet firm to the bite, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Melt butter until golden brown and pour over ziti, add Parmesan cheese, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Toss well. Cool briefly. Add eggs and toss again; set aside.
• To make meat sauce: Gently fry onion and garlic in butter in a skillet until onion is soft, 3 to 5 minutes. Increase heat and add ground beef; stir well. Cook until meat begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste, wine, broth, parsley, salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.
• To make cream sauce: Melt butter in saucepan, stir in flour and cook gently for 2 minutes. Pour in milk all at once and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil gently for 1 minute. Add nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Cool slightly before stirring in beaten egg. Transfer 1/2 cup of this sauce to the meat sauce.
• To assemble pastitsio: Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish. Spoon half of the prepared ziti evenly in the bottom and top with meat sauce. Top with remaining ziti. Pour on cream sauce and spread to completely cover ziti. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top.
• Bake in a preheated oven for 50 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting into squares.

PASTITSIO

Steps:

• MEAT LAYER: Preheat oven to 350°F Melt butter in a large skillet over moderate heat. Add onion and garlic and saute' for 2-3 minutes. Add beef and seasonings. When meat is cooked thru, drain off fat, return to pan and add the olives, tomatoes, and white wine. Simmer uncovered about 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• PASTA: Cook pasta according to package directions. Mix remaining pasta ingredients and place in a large bowl. When pasta is cooked, drain and immediately stir into the large bowl, mixing well.
• BECHAMEL SAUCE: In a medium saucepan over moderate heat, melt butter. Add flour, salt, black pepper, and dry ground mustard. Stir for about 1 minute. Slowly wisk in half and half and chicken stock to incorporate. Stir constantly till thickened (about 5 minutes).
• Remove from heat. Add a little of the bechamel to the egg to temper it, then wisk egg mixture back into pot and add the parmesan cheese. Stir until well blended.
• ASSEMBLY: To a large loaf pan or a deep oven-proof casserole pan (10"), place half the pasta mixture. Pour 1 cup of the bechamel sauce over top. then place meat layer over top of that. Top that with another cup of the bechamel.
• Place remaining pasta over that, then the remaining bechamel. Sprinkle with paprika and parsley. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Allow to set for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

MEATLESS PASTITSIO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Brush 9x13-inch baking dish with some of melted butter.
• Cook macaroni in large pot of boiling salted water until tender;drain well.
• Mix with half of remaining melted butter in a large bowl.
• Toss with cheeses.
• Blend in eggs,milk and pepper.
• Spoon into prepared dish.
• (Can be prepared 1 day ahead to this point, covered and refrigerated.If refrigerated, bring to room temperature before continuing.).
• Cover dish with phyllo, brushing each sheet with some of remaining butter.
• Score top 3 sheets with tip of sharp knife.
• Bake 15 minutes.
• Reduce oven to 300 degrees and bake 35 minutes.
• Let stand 15 minutes.
• Cut into squares and serve.

PASTITSIO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and saute until soft, 5 minutes. Add meats and saute until no longer pink, about 10 minutes, breaking it up into small pieces with the edge of a spoon. Add wine and cook 2 minutes to boil off some of the alcohol. Add garlic, cinnamon, oregano and thyme; cook 5 minutes. Add tomatoes (with their juices), salt and pepper; bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook, uncovered, 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• In a medium saucepan, combine milk and cream. Heat to a bare simmer over medium-low heat.
• In another saucepan, melt butter. Whisk in flour and cook until pasty flavor is gone but roux is still pale, 2-3 minutes. Whisking constantly, add hot milk/cream. Cook 5 minutes, still whisking constantly, until thick and smooth. Remove from heat and add nutmeg, salt, white pepper, half the Parmesan, and 1/2 cup of meat sauce. Set aside to cool 10 minutes. Beat eggs lightly, then whisk yogurt into eggs. Whisk this mixture into cooled white sauce.
• Cook and drain pasta according to package directions.
• Combine pasta with meat sauce and pour into a large casserole dish. Pour white sauce evenly over the top, then sprinkle evenly with remaining Parmesan. Bake, uncovered, in preheated oven for 1 hour. Cool 10 minutes before serving. (Tastes even better the second day when the flavors have time to meld; reheat from room temperature in 350F oven for 15-20 minutes.).

PASTITSIO WITHOUT THE PASTA

Steps:

• In large saucepan, brown ground beef.
• When beef is almost done, add onions and garlic and continue cooking until beef is cooked through and onions are soft.
• Add seasonings and Parmesan cheese and mix well; set aside.
• To make the sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
• Add the flour and stir to create a paste, cooking until the paste is thick and bubbly but not brown.
• Add milk and stir constantly until the sauce begins to thicken (can add more milk if consistency is too thick).
• Add seasonings to sauce and mix well.
• Pour sauce into meat mixture and add feta cheese; stir until thoroughly combined.
• Pour mixture into a greased 8" x 8" casserole dish, top with additional Parmesan cheese, and bake for 20 minutes in a preheated 350-degree oven.