Can’t get any more Greek than that… 3 main steps to a delicious pastitsio.
Serves: a medium oven tray Preparation time: 40m Cooks in: 40m Ready in: 1h 25m
Ingredients
For pastitsio
500g. thick macaroni
3 tsp. tablespoons olive oil
3 egg yolks
1 tsp. tablespoons of butter
½ cup breadcrumbs
1 1/2 cup cheese, and / or Parmesan, grated
¼ tsp. fresh grated nutmeg
salt
For the meat sauce
750g. minced beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 ½ cup tomato juice concentrate
1/3 cup red wine
1/3 cup olive oil
1 cinnamon stick
salt and pepper
For the sauce
8 tsp. tablespoons butter
8 tsp. flour for all uses
1½ liter of milk, warm
3 egg yolks
½ cup grated cheese
Salt and white pepper
Method
Prepare the meat
Step 1
Put the mince in medium pot over medium heat and with a wooden spoon “crush” to let the fluids stand completely. Stir with the mince the onion and garlic, and again stirl and add the olive oil.
Step 2
Saute until the mixture begins to stick to the bottom of the pan and finish with the wine. Add the tomato juice, cinnamon, salt and pepper and let the sauce simmer for 30-35 minutes until it thickens.
Prepare spaghetti
Step 1
Boil in a saucepan 1 1/2 liter of water and add 1 tsp. teaspoon salt. Put the pasta in the pot and cook for 6-7 minutes. Drain and toss with olive oil until well smeared and dont stick together. Beat the egg whites, add the pasta and stir in well.
Prepare the sauce
Step 1
In a medium saucepan melt the butter and add the flour. Stir constantly with a whisk until the flour gets a little color and remove from fire. Keep 2-3 tablespoons of lukewarm milk, to mix with the egg yolks and add the rest to the saucepan, stirring constantly with wire, to prevent clotting.
Step 2
Put the pan back on low heat and let simmer, stirring constantly until thickened. Turn off the heat and allow to cool. Mix the egg yolks with 2-3 tablespoons of the milk that you keep cool and just a little cream, add them. Season to taste and stir well to unite the egg cream. Finally add the grated cheese and stir well.
Prepare pastitsio
Step 1
Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Butter a medium oven tray and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Lay in the tray half of the pasta, sprinkle with 5-6 tsp. grated cheese and pure all the sauce over the meat. Sprinkle with some cheese again and pure evenly over the remaining macaroni.
Step 2
Spread over the spaghetti sauce and sprinkle with nutmeg. Bake the pastitsio for 40-45 minutes, until it gets golden.
