Arguably this is one of the most comforting Greek dishes out there. Its kind of the cottage pie of Greece in levels of comfort. I remember following the smell of it up the stairs to Nona's apartment on a Sunday lunchtime - it was mouthwatering! If pastitsio was on the menu, I knew my cousin would be there for lunch - I 'm not sure he ate much else!
Recently I have been making a conscious effort of cooking more Greek food for the kids, but also telling them what was in it and what it is called in Greek. My eldest has completely fallen for pastitsio. I mean, it is pasta, mince and bechamel - what else could one want?
You will need a specific pasta shape to make this, which I have found in every single Turkish shop I have visited; Pastitsio No 2 - brands such as Misko or Melissa can be found in the UK. These are quite thick, long tubes, and give the dish some volume. You can do it with other pasta, but trust me, it is not the same!
Serves 6-8 (plus leftovers)
Ingredients:
for the mince:
1kg beef mince
500g passata
1 large onion, finelly chopped
1 cinnamon stick
2 tbs olive oil
salt and pepper
For the bechamel No1:
150g butter
150g flour
1.5 - 2 litres of milk
fleshly grated nutmeg
salt
1 beaten egg
For the bechamel No2:
70g butter
70g flour
1 littre of milk
50g grated pecorino or greek graviera
salt
1kilo of pastitsio pasta
Instructions
1. To make the mince, add the oil to a large, heavy base pan. Add the onion and allow to soften on a medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the mince and let it brown, while breaking it up with a spoon to avoid 'clumps' forming. Once meat is thoroughly browned and most of the liquid has evaporated, add the passata and the cinnamon and seasoning and reduce the heat. Allow to simmer for 30 minutes.
2. To make the bechamel No.1, add the butter to a heavy base pan on a low-medium heat. Once melted, add the flour and stir throughout. Once fully combined, keep stirring for a further few minutes to cook out the flour. Turn the heat down to low and add the milk gradually while stirring constantly. You should reach a consistency that is quite thick, similar to that of extra thick cream. Once you have the consistency you need, add the beaten egg and the nutmeg and seasoning.
3. While making the bechamel No1, put the pasta on to boil. Once it has boiled and the bechamel is ready, drain the pasta and mix into the bechamel thoroughly. Cover the pan so that it doesn't dry out while you finish compiling the dish.
4. To make the bechamel No2., add the butter to a heavy base pan on a low-medium heat. Once melted, add the flour and stir throughout. Once fully combined, keep stirring for a further few minutes to cook out the flour. Turn the heat down to low and add the milk gradually while stirring constantly. You should reach a consistency that is quite thick, similar to that of extra thick cream. Add the grated pecorino and salt.
5. To compile the dish, you will need a large roasting tray or pyrex dish. You put half of the pasta/bechamel No1 mix in the dish. You then pour all of the mince mixture on top, followed by the rest of the pasta/bechamel No1 mix. Compress with a spoon to make sure there aren't huge gaps among the pasta. You then pour the bechamel No2. on top of the top layer of pasta. You can finish the top off with some grated cheese or breadcrumbs for texture.
6. Bake in the oven at 180 degrees (fan) for 45 minutes, or until pipping hot and browned on top. Serve once it is slightly cooled, with some salad.
Recently I have been making a conscious effort of cooking more Greek food for the kids, but also telling them what was in it and what it is called in Greek. My eldest has completely fallen for pastitsio. I mean, it is pasta, mince and bechamel - what else could one want?
You will need a specific pasta shape to make this, which I have found in every single Turkish shop I have visited; Pastitsio No 2 - brands such as Misko or Melissa can be found in the UK. These are quite thick, long tubes, and give the dish some volume. You can do it with other pasta, but trust me, it is not the same!
Serves 6-8 (plus leftovers)
Ingredients:
for the mince:
1kg beef mince
500g passata
1 large onion, finelly chopped
1 cinnamon stick
2 tbs olive oil
salt and pepper
For the bechamel No1:
150g butter
150g flour
1.5 - 2 litres of milk
fleshly grated nutmeg
salt
1 beaten egg
For the bechamel No2:
70g butter
70g flour
1 littre of milk
50g grated pecorino or greek graviera
salt
1kilo of pastitsio pasta
Instructions
1. To make the mince, add the oil to a large, heavy base pan. Add the onion and allow to soften on a medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the mince and let it brown, while breaking it up with a spoon to avoid 'clumps' forming. Once meat is thoroughly browned and most of the liquid has evaporated, add the passata and the cinnamon and seasoning and reduce the heat. Allow to simmer for 30 minutes.
2. To make the bechamel No.1, add the butter to a heavy base pan on a low-medium heat. Once melted, add the flour and stir throughout. Once fully combined, keep stirring for a further few minutes to cook out the flour. Turn the heat down to low and add the milk gradually while stirring constantly. You should reach a consistency that is quite thick, similar to that of extra thick cream. Once you have the consistency you need, add the beaten egg and the nutmeg and seasoning.
3. While making the bechamel No1, put the pasta on to boil. Once it has boiled and the bechamel is ready, drain the pasta and mix into the bechamel thoroughly. Cover the pan so that it doesn't dry out while you finish compiling the dish.
4. To make the bechamel No2., add the butter to a heavy base pan on a low-medium heat. Once melted, add the flour and stir throughout. Once fully combined, keep stirring for a further few minutes to cook out the flour. Turn the heat down to low and add the milk gradually while stirring constantly. You should reach a consistency that is quite thick, similar to that of extra thick cream. Add the grated pecorino and salt.
5. To compile the dish, you will need a large roasting tray or pyrex dish. You put half of the pasta/bechamel No1 mix in the dish. You then pour all of the mince mixture on top, followed by the rest of the pasta/bechamel No1 mix. Compress with a spoon to make sure there aren't huge gaps among the pasta. You then pour the bechamel No2. on top of the top layer of pasta. You can finish the top off with some grated cheese or breadcrumbs for texture.
6. Bake in the oven at 180 degrees (fan) for 45 minutes, or until pipping hot and browned on top. Serve once it is slightly cooled, with some salad.
