Recipe Background
Lasagna is one of Italy's outstanding home-comfort food contributions to the world, but a quick jaunt across the sapphire waters of the Mediterranean shows that Greeks have an equally delicious take on the concept. Pastitsio layers on the bouncy pasta, perfect for scooping up sauces, and the herbaceous, profoundly savory sauce simmered to enhance all its meaty goodness. On top are a homemade creamy béchamel sauce and kefalotyri Greek cheese--a rich, aromatic cheese with plenty of tang and sharpness similar in flavor to Gruyere. Pastitsio is stacked with goodness from head to toe; one bite, and you'll ask how this hasn't become more well-known in the States because it's just oh so fabulous!
Lasagna is one of Italy's outstanding home-comfort food contributions to the world, but a quick jaunt across the sapphire waters of the Mediterranean shows that Greeks have an equally delicious take on the concept. Pastitsio layers on the bouncy pasta, perfect for scooping up sauces, and the herbaceous, profoundly savory sauce simmered to enhance all its meaty goodness. On top are a homemade creamy béchamel sauce and kefalotyri Greek cheese--a rich, aromatic cheese with plenty of tang and sharpness similar in flavor to Gruyere. Pastitsio is stacked with goodness from head to toe; one bite, and you'll ask how this hasn't become more well-known in the States because it's just oh so fabulous!
Ingredients
For the meat sauce:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 1 large red onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 stick cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon sugar
For the pasta:
- 1 pound pastitsio pasta or bucatini
For the béchamel sauce:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 1/2 cups 2% milk
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 3/4 cup kefalotyri Greek cheese or parmesan grated
- 2 large eggs
- 2 egg yolks egg whites reserved for layering
For layering:
- 2 egg whites
- 1 1/2 cups kefalotyri Greek cheese or parmesan grated and divided
Directions
- Add the olive oil to a large skillet and heat it over medium-high heat.
- Add the beef to the hot oil and cook, breaking it up as it cooked, until well-browned, about 6-10 minutes.
- Add the onion, stirring and cooking until soft and translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Deglaze the pan with the red wine.
- Add the bay leaves, the oregano, the cloves, the cinnamon, the allspice, the salt, the pepper, the tomato paste, the crushed tomatoes, the water, and the sugar, stirring everything together.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low.
- Simmer the mixture, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has thickened, about 45 minutes.
- Remove and discard the bay leaves and the cinnamon stick.
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions until al dente.
- Drain the pasta and allow it to cool.
- In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
- Add the flour and whisk, continuing to whisk until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the milk, the nutmeg, the salt, and the pepper, whisking everything together.
- Cook, whisking as necessary, until fully combined and slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Transfer the saucepan from the heat and stir in 3/4 cup of the kefalotyri cheese.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the 2 eggs and the 2 egg yolks.
- Temper the eggs by slowly ladling in some of the hot béchamel sauce, a little at time, and constantly whisking. The goal is to slowly incorporate the sauce into the egg mixture and bring the eggs slowly up to a higher temperature so they do not curdle. Do not stop whisking during this step.
- Once the eggs have been tempered, gradually add the egg mixture to the béchamel sauce, stirring brisky.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease a 9x13x3-inch pan with olive oil.
- Toss the cooked pasta with 1/2 cup of the meat sauce.
- Whisk the 2 egg whites and 1/2 cup of the kefalotyri cheese into the pasta mixture.
- Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared pan, arranging the pasta so it all goes in the same direction if desired.
- Top the pasta with the remaining meat sauce, smoothing out the surface.
- Pour the béchamel sauce over the meat sauce layer, smoothing it out.
- Top the dish with the remaining cheese.
- Bake until the top is golden-brown and set, about 45-50 minutes.
- Let the pastitsio rest for at least 30 minutes.
- Slice and serve.
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