Cretan Cuisine: Traditional Mediterranean Recipes for Eating Healthy and Living Well by Aura Tatu

Author:Aura Tatu [Tatu, Aura]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Aura Tatu
Published: 2018-07-06T23:00:00+00:00

Pastitsio

The Greek version of lasagna, pastitsio is a baked pasta dish that contains ground lamb and béchamel sauce. The name comes from the Italian “pasticcio”, a large family of baked savoury pies which are based on meat, fish and pasta. Many Italian versions include a pastry crust and some include béchamel. The word pasticcio comes from the Latin word “pasticium” derived from “pasta” which means “pie”, and has developed the figurative meanings of “a mess”, “a tough situation”.

The typical Greek version has a bottom layer of some tubular pasta, with cheese and egg as a binder; a middle layer of ground beef, veal or lamb with tomato and cinnamon, nutmeg or allspice; another layer of pasta; and a top layer of sauce, varying from an egg-based custard to a flour or cheese based béchamel sauce. Grated cheese is often sprinkled on top. Pastitsio is a common dish in Cretan households especially during winter months and is usually served with green salad aside.

Preparation time: 20 mins

Cooking time: 75 mins

Servings: 4

Ingredients

Base:

250g thick pasta (bucatini or similar)

Meat sauce:

400g minced beef

30ml olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 carrot, grated

1 clove garlic, crushed

200g canned tomatoes, chopped

2 tbsp. cognac

1 tsp. sugar

1 stick of cinnamon

1 bay leaf

salt and freshly ground pepper

Béchamel sauce:

500ml fresh milk

2 tbsp. corn flour

25g butter

1 egg yolk

pinch of nutmeg

salt

100g grated Graviera (or other yellow cheese)

Method

The meat sauce

In a saucepan, heat the olive oil and fry the onion until translucent. Add the garlic and the minced meat, breaking it with a fork. Cook for about 8 minutes, until it changes its colour. Pour the cognac and allow for 1-2 minutes until it evaporates. Add the tomatoes, carrot, sugar, salt, pepper, bay leaf and cinnamon stick. Let the cinnamon to flavour the mixture for 5 minutes and remove it. Cover the saucepan and lower the heat. Let simmer for 20 minutes until the fluids condense and become a thick sauce.

The béchamel sauce

In a frying pan warm up the milk, add the corn flour, nutmeg, salt and butter and stir very well so it doesn’t become lumpy. When it’s starting to thicken, remove from heat and, stirring continuously, add the egg yolk. Finally, mix in half of the cheese.

Mounting the dish

Boil and drain the pasta. In an oiled baking dish, layer half of the boiled pasta and pour on top a spoonful of béchamel sauce. Stir lightly to coat evenly. Pour a tablespoon of béchamel into the minced meat sauce and stir well. Add the minced meat on top of the pasta and cover with a new layer of pasta. Pour the rest of the béchamel sauce on top. Shake gently the baking dish as for the sauces to penetrate to the bottom. Sprinkle on top with the remaining grated yellow cheese. Bake in a preheated oven at 180C, for 45 minutes. Serve warm with a green salad and a glass of white wine.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.