Pastitsio (Greek Pasta Bake)
Pastitsio (Greek Pasta Bake)

Hey everyone, I hope you’re having an amazing day today. Today, we’re going to prepare a distinctive dish, pastitsio (greek pasta bake). It is one of my favorites food recipes. For mine, I’m gonna make it a little bit unique. This will be really delicious.

Pastitsio (Greek Pasta Bake) is one of the most well liked of current trending meals on earth. It is appreciated by millions every day. It is simple, it is fast, it tastes yummy. Pastitsio (Greek Pasta Bake) is something which I’ve loved my entire life. They’re nice and they look fantastic.

Pastitsio is a favorite traditional Greek dinner recipe. You certainly don't have to make it this way, just know that the pasta dish will be more "loose" and will. The Pastitsio (or Pastichio) is a famous Greek pasta bake with a spiced meat sauce and a silky béchamel.

To get started with this recipe, we have to prepare a few ingredients. You can cook pastitsio (greek pasta bake) using 18 ingredients and 13 steps. Here is how you cook that.

The ingredients needed to make Pastitsio (Greek Pasta Bake):
  1. Make ready 2 lb ground beef or lamb
  2. Make ready 1 large onion - diced
  3. Take 2 clove garlic - minced
  4. Take 1 cup tomato sauce (approx 1 - 8 oz can)
  5. Prepare 1/2 cup dry red wine - I use shiraz
  6. Make ready 1 can petite diced tomatoes (14.5 oz can)
  7. Take 1 tbsp parsley
  8. Make ready 1 tsp salt
  9. Make ready 1 tsp cinnamon
  10. Take 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  11. Make ready 1/4 tsp pepper
  12. Take 1 lb pasta - macaroni or ziti
  13. Make ready 4 eggs - divided
  14. Make ready 1 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese - divided
  15. Prepare 2 tbsp olive oil
  16. Make ready 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
  17. Make ready 1 cup ap flour
  18. Get 3 cup milk

It was my oldest sister that first introduced me to Pastitsio, although we just thought it was a "baked lamb casserole" at the time. It wasn't until I researched the recipe further that I learned its real Greek origins. Pastitsio (Greek: παστίτσιο, pastítsio), sometimes spelled pastichio, is a baked pasta dish with ground meat and béchamel sauce found in Greek, Egyptian, Maltese and Cypriot cuisines. We love Pastitsio in part because it's so delicious and shamelessly in part because the name is so much fun to say.

Steps to make Pastitsio (Greek Pasta Bake):
  1. Preheat oven to 375° and grease/spray a 13x9 baking dish.
  2. In a large skillet - brown ground beef and onion. Drain. Add garlic and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
  3. Add in tomato sauce, wine, can of undrained diced tomatoes and seasonings. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste - adjust seasoning if desired.
  4. While meat is simmering - cook pasta. Do not overcook - pasta should be just shy of al dente.
  5. Drain pasta. Return pasta to pot and mix in olive oil, 2 beaten eggs and 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese.
  6. Now start the bechamel/white sauce. In a large saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Add in flour and whisk until it's a smooth paste. Cook for a minute or two but do not brown.
  7. Slowly add in milk and cook for a few minutes, whisking constantly, until sauce thickens.
  8. Remove from heat. Season to taste with salt, pepper & a bit of nutmeg. Mix in 2 beaten eggs & remaining 1 cup of parmesan cheese. This will be a very thick sauce - if it's too thick to work with you can add a bit more milk.
  9. Assembly time : ) Spread half of the pasta mixture evenly on the bottom of the casserole dish - make sure bottom is completely covered.
  10. Evenly spread the entire meat mixture over bottom pasta layer.
  11. Top meat with remaining pasta.
  12. Pour the bechamel/sauce on top of noodles. With a spoon spread sauce making sure to get edges and corners. Sauce should be nearly to top of casserole dish - you may have a little leftover.
  13. Bake for 45 minutes - top will be golden brown. Let rest for 20 minutes before cutting. Enjoy : )

Ten years ago I was researching pasta bake recipes for a friend who was about to give birth when I came across a list of pasta bakes from around the world. Pastitsio is Greek comfort food, pasta layered with meat, cheese and béchamel sauce. Come to think of it, I think the whole family likes it. A simple authentic recipe for Pastitsio- a baked Greek pasta dish with a rich flavorful lamb (or beef) bolognese infused with Greek spices and flavors. A friend introduced Pastitsio to me a couple of years ago and I was instantly smitten.

So that is going to wrap it up with this exceptional food pastitsio (greek pasta bake) recipe. Thanks so much for reading. I’m sure you can make this at home. There’s gonna be more interesting food in home recipes coming up. Don’t forget to save this page on your browser, and share it to your family, colleague and friends. Thanks again for reading. Go on get cooking!