Pastitsio / Παστίτσιο

Published by karolos on November 13, 2019

Pastitsio

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Παστίτσιο

#1hour, #8 people dinner, #Date Night

When I first moved to England I knew only the very basic in cooking. I grew up in a family that cooked and as a kid I always liked helping making Christmas cookies and pasta flora but I have never expressed any particular interest in cooking. When I left Greece to study architecture in the UK my mom gave me a cooking set of cooking books to take with me with Greek recipes. The name of it was ‘TSELEMENTES’ which actually translates into cooking book, but the ones with all the secrets, the ones we have from our grandmothers, and carry with them the tradition and tips from generations.

I think the first dish I made as an adult was Pastitsio. It reminded me of home. Living in a student accommodation at first, with a shared kitchen and not so many kitchen utensils I had to minimize waste and cooking steps so from the very first time I started making this dish with just one IKEA pot I had. The smell and warmth this dish makes you feel, even if you re not Greek, is indescribable. The combination of pasta, meat and béchamel creates this rich smell that fills up the kitchen and can make a whole building trying to figure out where does the smell come from. This is what happened in my student hall. I had all 7 of my flat mates come out of their rooms mesmerized towards the kitchen trying to understand what this mouthwatering smell was. When I told my Greek friends that I had made Pastitsio, they were all lined up the next day to have some. It was this longing of home, of home made food. I thing that I changed from the initial recipe was that I used penne instead of the long pasta with the whole, that we normally use in Greece. I could not find that kind of pasta in England but penne worked equally well having also a hole where the liquids from the sauce could find a way in, greasing them up and penetrating the pasta with the spices of the sauce. I think this recipe was the recipe that made me start appreciating home cooked food, and also appreciating my Greek roots and the magic of Greek cuisine. Over the years I have made hundreds of Pastitsio pans and its one of the few recipes that I never experiment with. I keep it classic, reminding me of home.

INGREDIENTS

500 gr/ 1 package penne pasta

400 gr minced beef

400 gr minced pork

1 large onion finely chopped

1 garlic clove

1 egg (optional)

¼ cup olive oil

1 stick of cinnamon

1 bay leaf

1 tbsp sugar

1 cup parmesan cheese or kefalotyri cheese

400 gr freshly chopped canned tomato

1 spoon of tomato paste

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

1 glass of red wine

Béchamel

150 gr butter

100 gr flour

1-1.2 liter of milk

Nutmeg

1 Egg

PREPARATION

This recipe can be done using just one large pot. First boil the pasta in well salted water. A secret is to boil the paste 1-2 minutes less than what the package indicates since it will cook more while baking. When ready, add butter to the pasta and put them in a well buttered 35x26cm Pyrex or pan. Arrange evenly on the base and sprinkle 1/3 of the cheese on top.

Secondly make the minced sauce for the traditional pasticcio. In a pot or saucepan (you can use the same as before), heat the olive oil and sauté both the minced beef and pork , spreading it with a ladle. Mix it well till it browns well but without overmixing, we do not want it to boil. Allow to bake well to avoid losing its fluids with constant shuffling. This takes about 8-10 minutes.

Then add the onion and garlic and sauté additionally for 2-3 until they become transparent and well incorporated. Add the red wine. Allow for 1-2 minutes for the alcohol to evaporate. Add the tomato paste and chopped tomatoes, sugar, salt, pepper, bay leaf and cinnamon wood. Let the cinnamon stick for 10-15 minutes after boiling starts and remove it. I also add 1 glass of water if the canned tomatoes do not have many liquids.

Cover the sauce, lower the heat and simmer for 20-30 (without adding liquids) until almost all liquids are completely incorporated and the flavors are well condensed. Mix every 5-7 minutes so it does not stick on the bottom of the pot.

For the classic béchamel cream

Warm the milk. In a saucepan melt the butter to moderate heat. Add the flour and stir with wire for a few minutes to cook the flour till well mixed with the butter. Pour in a little hot milk and stir well to dissolve the flour. Add the rest of the milk.

Put the kettle back in the fire and allow the cream to bind and thicken by stirring regularly with the wire. Add Salt and pepper and a little nutmeg. And half the cheese. The consistency of the béchamel does not need to be too thick and stiff since it will thicken while baking. In case the flour does not mix well I have a small tip. I use the blender I use for soups and mix well the milk with the flour-butter mixture. It can always save the béchamel. When the béchamel has chilled a bit, add the egg and mix quickly with the wire so it does not cook.

Add the minced meat sauce on top of the pasta. Level well and the add the béchamel. The perfect composition is having equal sized layers.

Sprinkle with the remaining kefalotyri or parmesan cheese and bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees C, for 45-50 till the béchamel is nicely browned. If the pastitsio is browned earlier, cover with aluminum foil and continue baking.

TIP. Pastitsio is always better served fresh out of the oven accompanied with feta cheese. Let it sit for 10 minutes before cutting. However, it can last for 5-6 days and its equally tasty even when re-heated.