Pastitsio - Greek Lasagna
This is Greek lasagna, enough for a crowd. No Greek party was complete without this dish, along with the required Greek Sticky Chicken (also known as Chicken Oreganato), Spanakopita, Keftedes, Dolmades, Roasted Lemon Potatoes, Tsatziki, and Horiatiki Salata. And, of course, plenty of bread, olives, and feta cheese.
1 pound fusilli or other curly pasta
2 tablespoons butter
Meat sauce:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cups diced onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 pounds lean ground beef
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon oregano
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 can diced tomatoes (15 ounces)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup red wine
2 bay leaves
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste (about 1 teaspoon each)
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
Béchamel (cream sauce):
4-5 cups milk
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon whole allspice
8 tablespoons butter (one stick)
1 cup flour
6 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cook the macaroni in boiling salted water until tender but al dente, about 8-10 minutes. Do not overcook because the macaroni will be baked. Drain the macaroni in a colander. Return to empty pot and toss with butter. Set aside.
Make the meat sauce: Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven and add the onion, celery and garlic. Cook, stirring, until the onion is wilted. Add the ground beef and cook until brown. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, red wine, salt and pepper, cinnamon, oregano, thyme, allspice and bay leaves. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes. Stir in the chopped parsley. Remove from heat and set aside.
Make the Béchamel: Heat 4 cups of the milk over low heat with the bay leaves and whole allspice. Melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the flour. Whisk until smooth, about 5 minutes. Add the hot milk, removing the allspice and bay leaves. Simmer over low heat until the mixture is thickened and smooth. If too thick, add more milk. The béchamel should be thinner than mashed potatoes. Remove from heat. Take about one cup of the cream sauce and toss with the macaroni, 3 tablespoons of the parmesan cheese and the feta cheese. Set the remaining cream sauce aside.
Butter a large 11”x15” baking pan. Place half the macaroni over the bottom. Top with meat sauce. Repeat the layers. Spread the béchamel sauce over the top, and sprinkle evenly with the remaining parmesan cheese. Bake 45 minutes, until béchamel is golden brown.
Remove the macaroni from the oven and allow to cool before serving. Slice into squares and serve lukewarm. Makes 15-18 servings.
Comentarios