Pastitsio |
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| Servings | Preparation Time | Cooking Time | Calories | % from Fat | Fat | Sodium | Carbohydrates | Protein | Cholesterol |
| 20 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| INGREDIENTS: | ||
| 10 tablespoons olive oil, divided | 4 cups chopped onions | 4 large garlic cloves, chopped |
| 2 pounds lean (15% fat) ground beef | 2 teaspoons dried oregano | 1-1/2 teaspoons salt |
| 1 teaspoon ground black pepper | 2 14-1/2 ounce cans petite diced tomatoes in juice | 1 cup beef broth |
| 6 tablespoons tomato paste | 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon | 1 teaspoon ground allspice |
| 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg | 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves | 3 large eggs, beaten to blend |
| 1-1/2 pounds macaroni pastitsio no 2. (long hollow Greek pasta), perciatelli (long hollow Italian pasta), or regular macaroni | 3-1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese (about 10 ounces), divided | Bechamel Sauce |
| BECHAMEL SAUCE: (5 cups) 4 cups whole milk, divided | 4 large egg yolks | 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter |
| 1/2 cup all purpose flour | 1-1/4 teaspoons salt | 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper |
| 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg | 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice | 1-1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese |
| 1 | Heat 4 tablespoons oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic; saute about 8 minutes. Add beef; saute until beef begins to brown, breaking up with back of fork, about 8 minutes. Mix in oregano, salt, and pepper. Add tomatoes with juice, broth, and tomato paste; stir to blend well. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover pot, and simmer 20 minutes. Mix in cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and cloves; simmer 1 minute longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cool to room temperature. Stir in eggs. |
| 2 | Brush each of two 13x9x2-inch glass baking dishes with 1-1/2 tablespoons oil. Cook pasta in pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring often. Drain pasta; return to pot. Add 3 tablespoons oil and 1 cup Parmesan; toss. |
| 3 | In each dish, layer half of pasta, half of meat sauce, 1/2 cup Parmesan, and half of lukewarm bechamel. Sprinkle each with 3/4 cup cheese. |
| 4 | Preheat oven to 375 F. Cover each pastitsio with foil. Bake, covered, 25 minutes. Uncover; bake until heated through and golden on top, about 25 minutes longer. Let stand 15 minutes and serve. |
| 5 | BECHAMEL SAUCE: Whisk 1/2 cup milk and egg yolks in small bowl. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour; whisk until smooth and bubbling, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in 3-1/2 cups milk, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and allspice. Bring sauce to simmer, whisking often. Reduce heat to low; simmer until sauce is thick, whisking often, about 8 minutes. Whisk yolk mixture and Parmesan into sauce. Continue to simmer 2 minutes, whisking constantly. |