pastitsio for today!

Hey out there! Today's nice dinner is "pastitsio".

'Pastitsio is a layered casserole of macaroni,  lean ground beef sauce, topped with a cream sauce.

 
 
Ok, don't tell me it doesn't look delicious? It is a favorite dinner or lunch for the kids and for the "big" kids. I remember I loved that food and I keep asking everyday when I was little (some decades ago). But it still is one of my favorites. It can be great "company" for a tomato salad, or a crispy lettuce-red cabbage salad.
 
You will need :
 
Spaghetti for pastitsio-1 package (1 LB) (special greek thick spagheti with a hole in the center).

If you can't find those and I know it's not easy, (I had a hard time to discover them) you can use
some riggatoni .

  

Parmesan or asiago  cheese 4-5 tablespoons  (flakes or ground)

   

for the meat sauce:

 

2 lbs lean ground beef
1 big can of tomato sauce (plain)
2 medium size tomatoes chopped
1/2 cup of red wine
1 bay leaf
Cinnamon (a pinch)
Ground nutmeg (a pinch)
2-3 garlic gloves chopped
1 medium onion chopped
Salt -Pepper
a pinch of sugar

Use a medium sized pot and add the onion and garlic in the oil and stir over medium fire prefarably with a wooden spoon so you do not destroy your beatiful pot... the onion will start getting softer and of course sweeter. Add the ground beef and stir well until the beef have changed color and it is not anymore red . add the red wine and stir for 2-3 minutes. At the end add the fresh tomatoes, the tomato sauce and the spices, the sugar and a cup of hot water.. Reduse the heat and bring all to a slow boil for at least half an hour. Stir occasionally with the wooden spoon and add water as is needed (the sauce has to look like a thick soup and not an orange juice.)

Meanwhile you have prepare the pasta, that has to be al dente and not very soft. Put the pasta in an oiled Pyrex baking dish [13"x9"x2"].  The pasta should reach at least half-full the baking dish. Mix in with the half of the cheese and a spoon of olive oil.  Press the pasta genlty with a paper towel to the bottom and add the meat sause spoon by spoon to cover the pasta.

for the white sauce (Bechamel):


1 liter of milk hot water
3 table spoons of white all propose flour
2 eggs (the yolks only)
2-3 spoons of butter (or a cup of sunflower oil)
Parmesan or asiago cheese 2 spoons
a pinch of nutmeg
pepper and salt

To make the white sauce simply in a pot, roast the flour in the butter or oil and add slowly in the milk (pre-heated to warm-hot). Add the spices and the eggs and cheese at the end. Whisking steadily.  Bring to a boil, stirring, continuously.  Reduce heat to a simmer. Use a whisk or a hand mixer for better results ( I prefer the whisk to torture myself ). The more it boils the thicker it is getting. I dont want it very thick, but if it gets too thick you can thin it with hot water.  Best is when it looks like a thick baby cream!  Pour the white sause over the pasta and the meat in the pyrex dish. "Season" the white sauce (bechamel) with parmesan and a pinch of cinnamon for color.


Bake for about an hour at 400-500 in a preheated oven or until the top is having a crust!  Remove from the oven and let stand for about half an hour. If it's very hot when we serve it doesn't look atractive.

                                                         

You will really enjoy this if you ever make it.. I brought Pastitcio last time to my work for a "Thank you Party" for Maridol and I believe it was quite good as nothing was left in the dish to take home!

Good luck friends!

Emmanuel

Calories per serving of Pastitsio



141 calories of spaghetti or Rigatoni (dry), (0.67 cup)


135 calories of Butter, unsalted, (1.33 tbsp)


85 calories of ground beef 93/7, (2 oz)


21 calories of Milk, (nonfat), (0.25 cup)


18 calories of Parmesan Cheese, grated, (0.04 cup)


13 calories of Fat Free half & half (Ralph's), (0.67 serving) ( in case you mix the 2 milks together)


13 calories of Egg, fresh, (0.17 large)


12 calories of  tomato paste, (0.83 tbsp)


10 calories flour (0.33 tbsp)


3 calories of Onions, raw, (0.08 medium (2-1/2" dia))


1 calories of spices, ground, (0.08 tsp)


0 calories of Salt,  Real Salt Sea Salt (1/4 tsp.), (0.04 serving)