Pastitsio
Greece's answer to lasagna: cinnamon-spiced beef ragu layered with tubular pasta under a thick bechamel cap.
Meat
⚠ Contains: Gluten, Dairy, Egg. Always check your own ingredients — this isn't a guarantee for severe allergies.
Ingredients
- 500g bucatini or penne pasta
- 500g ground beef
- 1 onion, chopped, 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 400g canned tomatoes
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ground cloves, 1 bay leaf
- 4 tbsp butter, 4 tbsp flour, 4 cups milk (bechamel)
- 2 eggs (for bechamel)
- 1 cup kefalotyri or parmesan, grated
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Steps
- Cook the pasta until just al dente; drain and toss with a beaten egg and a little grated cheese to help bind the layers.
- Brown ground beef with onion and garlic in olive oil.
- Add wine, let it reduce, then add tomatoes, cinnamon, cloves, and bay leaf; simmer 25-30 minutes until thick. Discard the bay leaf.
- Make the bechamel: melt butter, whisk in flour, cook 1 minute, then gradually whisk in milk until thick and smooth. Off heat, whisk in eggs and half the cheese.
- Layer half the pasta in a baking dish, top with the meat sauce, then the remaining pasta.
- Pour the bechamel over the top, and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
- Bake at 180C (350F) for 35-40 minutes until golden and set. Rest 15 minutes before slicing.