I am so excited to share this recipe with you! Ever since the beginning days of LLP, Jen and I have talked about her being a guest blogger and sharing her famous Greek recipe. It has FINALLY happened! #livelovepastitsio
Growing up, Jen and her family were the only people I knew that were Greek. I understand now that being Greek isn’t all that obscure but when I was younger it seemed that way. What can I say…I was/am a pretty sheltered person! So when we were little, we would say things like “is this feta?” (to.all.of.the.cheeses) and “Yia Yia Pya Pyas” in cute (aka annoying) voices. And of course we still do it today, because inside jokes never get old! Right?
Pastitsio, pronounced pahs-TEET-see-o (I think) is basically a pasta dish layered with meat and béchamel. And it is definitely a special occasion recipe. First because it is delicious and decadent. Second because it serves a crowd, easily 8-10 peeps. And third, it’s not exactly a recipe you can whip up quickly.
When we were making the pastitsio I was imagining it would be similar to the Italian pastas I grew up with. I mean…meat sauce + noodles…how different could it be? It turns out that it’s totally different! For starters, it is not at all saucy. I was actually shocked with how little liquid went into it. Don’t worry though, it’s not dry! Also, the addition of cinnamon and nutmeg completely changed the flavor profile. Usually when I use nutmeg it is a very small amount and I can never really tell if I can even taste it. But with pastitsio, nutmeg is added to each component so the flavor definitely comes through. The cinnamon and nutmeg give it a tiny hint of sweetness and warmth.
We ended up dividing our pastitsio into 2 8×8 baking dishes so that Jen could take one home and we could have one for ourselves. I am absolutely loving it! Thanks for sharing Jen! Let’s not wait 3 more years for more guest blogging! <3
My Greek bff…teaching me her cooking skills 🙂
Here’s what you’ll need. Also note that Jen’s uncle wrote a Greek cookbook. How cool!
Start by cooking the onions and garlic, just until softened and translucent
Brown the meat. Then add the spices, tomato sauce and paste, plus broth and wine
While the meat sauce simmers away, start the bechamel
whisk whisk whisk
After it has thickened and cooked set aside to cool. You’ll add the eggs and cheese later
Heat olive oil and butter in a large pot then toss in the pasta. Make sure to coat all the pasta
In goes the cheese
and the beaten eggs
We also mix in some of the meat sauce and some of the bechamel sauce
Now it’s time to assemble: a pasta layer topped with a meat layer
Topped with another pasta layer
Topped with a bechamel layer and a final sprinkling of cheese. Into the oven it goes!
We’ve waited 3+ years to make Pastitsio. Thanks Jen, for sharing!
Pastitsio
Ingredients
For the Meat Sauce
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb ground lamb
- 1 small can tomato paste
- 14 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp dried parsley
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 cup dry red wine
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 2 egg whites
For the Bechamel
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 cup flour
- 4 cup milk (we used 2%)
- 3/4 cup Mizithra cheese, grated (can substitute parmesan and/or romano)
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 whole eggs + 2 egg yolks, beaten
For the Noodles
- 1 lb ziti, cooked to al dente
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3/4 cup Mizithra cheese, grated
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 2 eggs, beaten
Instructions
- Start with the Meat Sauce. Heat butter and olive oil in large pan or dutch oven and sauté the onions and garlic until softened and translucent, a couple minutes. Add the ground beef and ground lamb, breaking apart with a wooden spoon as it browns. Stir in tomato paste and diced tomatoes. Add parsley, oregano, salt, pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg, plus the broth and wine. Simmer for 15 minutes, or until the liquid has absorbed. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
- Once completely cooled, stir in the egg whites (save the yolks for the béchamel).
- While the meat is cooling, start the béchamel. Melt butter in a large sauce pan over low heat. Add flour and cook for 2 minutes, whisking continuously. Pour in milk and bring to a boil, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thick. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
- Once slightly cool, mix in the cheese and beaten eggs.
- Last step is the pasta. In a large pot, melt together butter and olive oil. Toss in the cooked pasta and make sure all the noodles are coated. Stir in cheese and nutmeg. Let cool before mixing in the beaten eggs.
- Stir in about ¼ of the béchamel and ¼ of the meat into the noodles.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×13 (or two 8×8) baking dish. They freeze well. Spread ½ of the noodle mixture into an even layer. Spread all of the meat sauce over the noodles. Pour the remaining ½ of the noodles over the meat. Pour the béchamel over the top and sprinkle some extra mizithra on top.
- Bake for 50 minutes.
- Remove from oven, let stand for 15 minutes before serving.