Pastitsio Oamc Recipes

PASTITSIO (GREEK PASTA BAKE)

Steps:

• Heat in a large pot over high heat. Add garlic and onion, cook for 2 - 3 minutes until onion is softened. Add beef and cook, breaking it up as you go, until it changes from red to brown.
• Add wine and and cook until the wine has mostly evaporated - about 3 minutes.
• Add remaining Meat Sauce ingredients. Stir well, bring to simmer, then reduce heat to medium / medium low so it's simmering gently. Cook for 45 min to 1 hour until liquid is mostly gone, stirring every now and then. It should be a thick mixture with little liquid, not saucy like Spaghetti Bolognese (Note 4).
• Remove from stove and cool. Preferably to room temperature, otherwise for at least 30 minutes before assembling (lid off).
• Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and stir for 1 minute.
• While stirring, slowly pour half the milk in. It should turn into a wet paste. Then again, while stirring, pour in remaining milk - the paste should easily dissolve so it's lump-free. If not, just whisk vigorously.
• Cook, stirring so the base doesn't catch, for 5 minutes or until thick enough so it coats the back of a wooden spoon thickly and you can draw a path across it with your finger.
• Remove from stove. Stir in nutmeg, cheese and salt.
• Leave to cool for 5 minutes. Then whisk in egg yolks quickly. Place lid on and set aside. If sauce cools and gets too thick to pour, just reheat on a low stove until pourable.
• When you're ready to assemble, cook the pasta per packet instructions, minus 1 minute.
• Drain, then return to the pot. Leave to cool for 3 minutes, then stir through egg whites. Gently stir through crumbled feta.
• Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (all oven types).
• Place pasta in a baking dish (33 x 22 x 7 cm / 9 x 13 x 2.75"), arranging them so they are all going in the same direction as best you can (for visual effect when sliced). Make the surface as level as you can.
• Top with Meat Sauce, then smooth the surface.
• Pour over Béchamel Sauce, then sprinkle over the cheese.
• Bake 30 min or until crust turns golden.
• Cool for at least 10 minutes so you can cut neat slices with tdhe layers neatly visible. Serve!

PASTITSIO

Steps:

• For the sauce, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large pot. Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes. Add the beef and lamb, and saute over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until it's no longer pink, crumbling it with the back of wooden spoon. Drain off any excess liquid, add the wine, and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the garlic, cinnamon, oregano, thyme, and cayenne, and continue cooking over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 40 to 45 minutes. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• For the bechamel, heat the milk and cream together in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until simmering. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Add the flour and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly for 2 minutes. Pour the warm milk and cream mixture into the butter and flour mixture, whisking constantly. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes, until smooth and thick. Add the nutmeg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Stir in 3/4 cup of Parmesan cheese, 1/2 cup of the tomato and meat sauce, and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Stir in the eggs and yogurt and set aside.
• Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water until al dente. Don't over-cook because the pasta will later be baked. Drain and set aside.
• Add the pasta to the meat and tomato sauce, and pour the mixture into a baking dish. Spread the bechamel evenly to cover the pasta and sprinkle with the remaining 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Bake for 1 hour, until golden brown and bubbly. Set aside for 10 minutes and serve hot.

GREEK PASTITSIO RECIPE (GREEK LASAGNA WITH BéCHAMEL)

Steps:

• To prepare this traditional pastitsio recipe (pastichio), start with the meat sauce. Place a large pan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil, the chopped onions and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic, tomato paste and the beef. Break up the meat with a wooden spoon and brown for 4-5 minutes. Pour in the red wine and wait to evaporate. Add the canned tomatoes, the sugar, cinnamon, clove, the bay leaf and season. Bring to the boil, turn the heat down and simmer with the lid on for about 30 minutes, until most of the juices have evaporated. (After the meat is cooked, discard the bay leaf, the clove and the cinnamon)
• Prepare the bechamel sauce for the pastitsio. Melt the butter in a large pan over low-medium heat. Add the flour whisking continuously to make a paste. Add warmed milk in small batches, whisking continuously in order to prevent your sauce from getting lumpy. If the sauce still needs to thicken, boil over low heat whilst continuing to stir. Remove the pan from the stove and add the egg yolks, salt, pepper, a pinch of nutmeg and the grated cheese (50g/ 1.7oz.). Whisk quickly, in order to prevent the eggs from turning an omelette! Season with salt to taste.
• Cook the pasta for the pastitsio 2-3 minutes less than the package instructions, so that they don't get mushy after turning out of the oven later. Drain the pasta and stir in the egg whites and the feta cheese (smashed with a fork) and mix gently with a spatula.
• For this pastitsio recipe you will need a large baking dish, approx. 25*35 cm / 10*14 inch. Butter the bottom and sides of a pan and assemble the pastitsio. Layer the pasta, top with the meat sauce and even out. Top the pastitsio with the bechamel sauce and smooth out with a spatula.
• Sprinkle the pastichio with grated cheese and bake in preheated oven at 180C (350F) Fan for about 40 minutes, until crust turns a light golden brown. Let the pastitsio cool down for a while before serving.

PASTITSIO

Steps:

• Parboil the pasta. Drain and put in the baking pan. You should toss it around in some butter, oil, or margarine to keep it from sticking. Then add a generous amount of grated cheese and toss. You also have the option of placing half the pasta in the dish, filling the middle layer with meat sauce, and adding more pasta on top. You also have another option of tossing the pasta and the meat sauce together and leaving it like that. Do whatever your heart desires. You may also toss in some egg whites. Beat them a bit with a fork, and then toss them around with your hands into the pasta mixture. They just do this so they don't waste the eggs. It really doesn't make it tastier or anything.
• For the meat sauce in a large pot, sauté the onion, garlic, and parsley in the oil until the onions turn translucent. Then add tomato paste (optional) and stir for a few seconds. Season with salt and pepper.
• Add chopped meat. Stir, let it release some juice. You could, at this point, add a splash of red wine for change in taste but it's really not necessary.
• Add the chopped tomatoes, cloves, and cinnamon, and let the tomatoes release some juice. Stir.
• Add the tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes and stir. Taste for salt.
• Add a cup or two of water, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer on low for an hour and a half or until there is no water left in the pot.
• Now, as I said before, you have the option of layering the meat sauce, or mixing it in with the pasta.
• For the béchamel, in a saucepan on low heat, melt one stick and a half of butter.
• Gradually add flour and whisk until the roux forms a gunky ball and you can't stir anymore.
• Gradually add 6 cups of milk and the bouillon (if you want it). I'd say even 5 and 1/2, because I like my sauce really thick. Stir occasionally and make sure you whisk away the flour caught around the edges with a rubber spatula and whisk again. Once the sauce thickens, remove from heat. Add grated cheese, the egg yolks (slowly so they don't curdle while whisking very fast), the nutmeg. Add a pinch of salt (if necessary)and pepper. If you like creamy sauce, make it with the full six cups of milk.
• Make sure your pasta and meat sauce are at an even level in the pan, and then pour in the béchamel on top. Even it out with a spatula.
• You may top with more grated cheese, nutmeg, cinnamon, or even breadcrumbs.
• Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes or until the top turns golden brown.
• Lastly and most importantly, let the pastitsio rest for an hour or two before eating. The béchamel has to set and solidify a little bit. If you don't wait, the sauce will gush out.

PASTITSIO

Steps:

• MEAT LAYER: Preheat oven to 350°F Melt butter in a large skillet over moderate heat. Add onion and garlic and saute' for 2-3 minutes. Add beef and seasonings. When meat is cooked thru, drain off fat, return to pan and add the olives, tomatoes, and white wine. Simmer uncovered about 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• PASTA: Cook pasta according to package directions. Mix remaining pasta ingredients and place in a large bowl. When pasta is cooked, drain and immediately stir into the large bowl, mixing well.
• BECHAMEL SAUCE: In a medium saucepan over moderate heat, melt butter. Add flour, salt, black pepper, and dry ground mustard. Stir for about 1 minute. Slowly wisk in half and half and chicken stock to incorporate. Stir constantly till thickened (about 5 minutes).
• Remove from heat. Add a little of the bechamel to the egg to temper it, then wisk egg mixture back into pot and add the parmesan cheese. Stir until well blended.
• ASSEMBLY: To a large loaf pan or a deep oven-proof casserole pan (10"), place half the pasta mixture. Pour 1 cup of the bechamel sauce over top. then place meat layer over top of that. Top that with another cup of the bechamel.
• Place remaining pasta over that, then the remaining bechamel. Sprinkle with paprika and parsley. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Allow to set for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

PASTITSIO (OAMC)

Steps:

• For the meat sauce, put some olive oil in a large pot; saute onion until lightly browned; add garlic; add meat and cook until brown, crumbling with a fork; add remaining meat sauce ingredients to skillet; mix well; cover and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until quite thick; let mixture cool; remove and discard cinnamon stick and bay leaf.
• Prepare pasta by boiling until al dente in plenty of boiling, salted water; drain and place pasta in a large bowl; add butter, milk, eggs and 1/2 cup cheese; gently stir to coat; set aside.
• To prepare bechamel sauce, melt butter over medium heat in a saucepan; stir in flour until smooth, cook, whisking for 2 minutes; gradually add milk, stirring, until thickened; lower heat; add salt, pepper and nutmeg; remove from heat.
• In medium-sized bowl, beat 3 eggs; slowly add hot cream sauce to eggs; stir thoroughly so eggs don't curdle.
• Preheat oven to 350°F and butter or oil (with olive oil) a large baking pan (my pan is about 18" x 10").
• Empty 1/2 of the penne mixture over bottom of pan; cover evenly with all of meat sauce; sprinkle 1/3 of the cheese over meat sauce; add remaining penne mixture, spreading evenly; sprinkle another 1/3 of the cheese over top; pour bechamel sauce evenly over entire casserole; top with remaining cheese.
• Bake until bechamel sauce sets and has golden-brown patches across top, approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour; cool at least 20 minutes before cutting into pieces for serving.
• Freezer Notes: Once the baked pastitsio has completely cooked, cut serving-size pieces, double-wrap in foil and freeze. Defrost in the usual manner and reheat in microwave (or oven) for a delicious, quick meal, when there's little time to cook and dinner is ready and waiting in the freezer!

PASTITSIO

Steps:

• Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in onion and cook until it begins to soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in the ground beef, and cook until crumbly and no longer pink. Pour in the water and tomato paste. Season with salt, pepper, allspice, nutmeg, and cinnamon; cover, and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, adjust salt to taste, then refrigerate until cold. Once cold, remove any congealed fat, and thoroughly mix with 2 beaten eggs, and set aside.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add macaroni and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain, and rinse under cold water to cool. Mix the macaroni in 2 beaten eggs until well coated.
• Evenly spread half of the macaroni mixture into a 11x14x2 inch baking pan, sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the grated parmesan cheese, and drizzle with 1/2 cup of melted butter. Spread the meat mixture overtop, then finish with the remaining macaroni. Sprinkle the macaroni with another 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese, and drizzle with 1/2 cup of melted butter.
• Whisk together 4 beaten eggs with the half-and-half, 1 cup of Parmesan cheese, flour, and salt; whisk until well blended. Pour the cream mixture evenly over top of the pastitsio, and sprinkle with nutmeg.
• Cover the pan with foil, and bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove the foil, and bake until the top has turned golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven, and allow to stand for 15 minutes before serving.

PASTITSIO

Steps:

• Toss pasta with 3 tablespoons butter and 1/2 cup parmesan cheese; set aside.
• In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground round, onion, and garlic; stirring to crumble meat; cook until meat is no longer pink; drain.
• Stir in tomato sauce, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, cinnamon, and pepper.
• In a heavy saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter over low heat.
• Whisk in flour.
• Cook and whisk constantly for 1 minute.
• Whisk in milk; cook and whisk constantly over medium heat until thickened and bubbly.
• Stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt; remove from heat.
• In a separate bowl, whisk eggs until thick and pale.
• Whisk about 1/4 milk mixture into eggs; add to remaining milk mixture, whisking constantly.
• To assemble: spoon pasta mixture into a greased 13x9 inch baking dish.
• Spoon beef mixture over pasta.
• Sprinkle with remaining parmesan cheese.
• Top with cream sauce.
• Bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour or until golden.