Best 7 My Big Fat Greek Pastitsio Recipes

MY BIG FAT GREEK MEAT & PASTA CASSEROLE

Steps:

• IN a large food processor, chop 1 large onion, 1 medium bell pepper, one handful pitted kalamata olives, 1 handful flat leaf parsley leaves, and 8-12 garlic cloves.
• HEAT 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat; ADD the above chopped vegetables, 1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef, 1 teaspoon fine sea salt and 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper; SAUTE until meat is browned and vegetables have softened.
• ADD 1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes, 3/4 cup dry Greek red wine, 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste, 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 2 teaspoons Greek honey, 1 1/4 teaspoons crushed dried oregano, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice, 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, 1/2 tablespoon ouzo or 1/4 teaspoon pure anise extract, 1/4 teaspoon fresh grated lemon zest, 1/4 teaspoon crushed dried mint, 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground white pepper, 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes, and 3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese; STIR well; COVER; REDUCE heat; SIMMER for 45 minutes or longer (sauce will be thick); RE-SEASON sauce to taste with fine sea salt if needed (leave sauce just slightly under-salted since sauce will concentrate while baking).
• SEPARATE 4 large eggs and retain yolks in a medium to large mixing bowl (refrigerate egg whites sealed, for another use while fresh); WHISK in 4 cups whole milk until smooth; ADD 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, 1 level teaspoon fine sea salt, 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground white pepper, 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1 pinch cayenne pepper; WHISK again until blended; SET aside.
• MELT 1/2 cup salted butter over low heat; ADD 1/2 cup all-purpose flour and cook for just one minute; POUR milk and egg mixture all at once into roux while whisking constantly; CONTINUE whisking often until sauce thickens up and begins to bubble; REMOVE from heat; WHISK in 3/4 cup powdered parmesan cheese until smooth and glossy; COVER loosely with plastic wrap; BLEND 1/2 cup of the BECHAMEL into the fully-simmered SAUCE.
• COOK the PASTA according to package directions for al dente (salt the boiling water and add olive oil to prevent boiling over); ALLOW to drain; MEANWHILE, into previous empty boiling pot add 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese, 1 tablespoon minced flat leaf parsley, 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder and 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground white pepper; STIR; ADD drained pasta and toss; RE-MOISTEN pasta if needed with water.
• PREHEAT oven to 350 F; SPRAY a 2-3 quart casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray; SPREAD 1/2 (one half) of the PASTA in bottom of baking dish; POUR the entire SAUCE mixture then smooth; ADD the remaining pasta over the SAUCE; POUR all of the BECHAMEL sauce over the pasta; LEVEL and smooth bechamel sauce. NOTE: YOU CAN SPRINKLE THE TOP OF CASSEROLE NOW LIGHTLY WITH GRATED PARMESAN CHEESE (PLUS MINCED FRESH PARSLEY IF DESIRED) OR YOU CAN GARNISH WHILE STILL HOT, JUST AFTER BAKING.
• BAKE for 1 hour.
• ALLOW to set 20 minutes before slicing.
• SERVE and enjoy!

MY BIG FAT GREEK PASTITSIO

Steps:

• In a nonstick skillet sprayed with nonstick spray, saute the onion over medium-high heat until translucent, 2-3 minutes or so.
• Add meat to the pan and cook over medium heat until browned all the way through; drain fat.
• Add tomato sauce, garlic,just 1 tsp of the cinnamon, and some salt to taste.
• Simmer on low heat 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt the butter.
• Once the butter has melted, stir in the flour, whisking until blended.
• Remove pan from heat and whisk in the milk slowly until blended.
• Return pan to heat and let simmer over low heat about 5 minutes, stirring often,or until thick and smooth.
• Remove sauce from heat and let cool slightly.
• In a bowl, beat eggs and then add small portion of the cream sauce, whisking quickly as you do.
• Whisk in a bit more of the sauce, then add all the rest and whisk well until smooth.
• (You can to be careful not to add too much at first or you will cook the eggs.) Season sauce with some salt& pepper and a dash of nutmeg to taste, mixing well.
• Grease a 9x13" casserole with deep sides well and place hot macaroni in it.
• Top with meat sauce, then sprinkle meat sauce with remaining 1 tsp cinnamon.
• Pour cream sauce over all to cover.
• You may need to shake the pan a little to make everything settle in (not too hard- you don't want sauce flying everywhere).
• You may have a little extra cream sauce left over, depending on how deep your pan is.
• Bake in a preheated 350 F oven for approximately 40 minutes or until custard is firm (no jiggling).
• Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

PASTITSIO

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until soft, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Add the pepper flakes, garlic, herbes de provence and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the four-spice powder. Add the lamb, raise the heat to medium high and let cook, breaking up any chunks, until browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until reduced slightly. Add the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Lower the heat, cover and simmer until thick, about 45 minutes.
• To make the bechamel sauce, bring the milk to a simmer in a medium pot set over medium heat. Melt the butter in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Whisk the flour into the butter and cook for 2 minutes. Whisk the warm milk into the flour mixture. Add the remaining 2 pinches four-spice powder and cook for 5 minutes at a simmer, whisking often, until thickened. Remove from the heat.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Whisking constantly, slowly pour a quarter of the milk mixture into the eggs. Whisk the egg mixture back into the pot. Whisk in 1 cup of the cheese. Fold in the yogurt. Season with salt and pepper.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta to al dente according to the package instructions. Drain and combine with the lamb sauce. Adjust the salt and pepper to taste.
• Transfer to a large baking dish and top with the bechamel sauce and the remaining 1 cup cheese. Bake until the top is caramelized, about 45 minutes. Garnish with the parsley.

GREEK PASTITSIO RECIPE (GREEK LASAGNA WITH BéCHAMEL)

Steps:

• To prepare this traditional pastitsio recipe (pastichio), start with the meat sauce. Place a large pan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil, the chopped onions and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic, tomato paste and the beef. Break up the meat with a wooden spoon and brown for 4-5 minutes. Pour in the red wine and wait to evaporate. Add the canned tomatoes, the sugar, cinnamon, clove, the bay leaf and season. Bring to the boil, turn the heat down and simmer with the lid on for about 30 minutes, until most of the juices have evaporated. (After the meat is cooked, discard the bay leaf, the clove and the cinnamon)
• Prepare the bechamel sauce for the pastitsio. Melt the butter in a large pan over low-medium heat. Add the flour whisking continuously to make a paste. Add warmed milk in small batches, whisking continuously in order to prevent your sauce from getting lumpy. If the sauce still needs to thicken, boil over low heat whilst continuing to stir. Remove the pan from the stove and add the egg yolks, salt, pepper, a pinch of nutmeg and the grated cheese (50g/ 1.7oz.). Whisk quickly, in order to prevent the eggs from turning an omelette! Season with salt to taste.
• Cook the pasta for the pastitsio 2-3 minutes less than the package instructions, so that they don't get mushy after turning out of the oven later. Drain the pasta and stir in the egg whites and the feta cheese (smashed with a fork) and mix gently with a spatula.
• For this pastitsio recipe you will need a large baking dish, approx. 25*35 cm / 10*14 inch. Butter the bottom and sides of a pan and assemble the pastitsio. Layer the pasta, top with the meat sauce and even out. Top the pastitsio with the bechamel sauce and smooth out with a spatula.
• Sprinkle the pastichio with grated cheese and bake in preheated oven at 180C (350F) Fan for about 40 minutes, until crust turns a light golden brown. Let the pastitsio cool down for a while before serving.

GREEK PASTITSIO

Steps:

• Cook macaroni; drain, and return to pan.
• Stir in the melted butter, 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, 1/3 cup milk, and the egg; set aside.
• In a a skillet or large saucepan, cook ground beef and onion until meat loses its pinkness and onion is soft; drain excess fat.
• Stir in tomato sauce, the 1 teaspoon salt, mint flakes (if used), cinnamon, nutmeg and pepper; set aside.
• In a saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter, then mix in flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
• Slowly stir in the 2 cups milk, stirring well after each addition so that no lumps form.
• Cook and stir on medium high until cream sauce starts to thicken; stir for one minute more, then remove from heat.
• Beat egg in a small bowl, then pour into cream sauce, stirring briskly.
• Blend in the 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese.
• Layer half the pasta mixture in a 11" x 7" (or 2 quart) baking dish.
• Spoon the meat mixture evenly on top, then the remaining pasta.
• Pour cream sauce over top, to cover completely.
• Bake, uncovered, at 350F for about 40 minutes, or until hot and lightly browned.
• Let stand for 10 minutes.

KITTENCAL'S GREEK PASTITSIO

Steps:

• Set oven to 350 degrees F.
• Grease a 13 x 9-inch baking dish.
• In a large pot cook the pasta in boiling water with 1 tablespoons salt until al dente; drain and return the cooked pasta to the pot.
• To the pasta add in 1/4 cup melted butter, 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, pinch nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon ground black pepper; mix until combined then allow to cool slightly.
• Add in eggs and mix well; set aside.
• For the meat sauce; heat olive oil and butter in a skillet over medium heat; add in onion and crushed chili flakes, cook for about 4 minutes.
• Add in garlic and cook for 2 minutes.
• Add in extra lean ground beef; cook breaking up the meat with a spoon or fork until browned.
• Add in tomato paste, wine, beef broth, salt and pepper; mix well, then cover and simmer over low heat for about 45-50 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Meanwhile while the meat sauce is cooking prepare the bechamel sauce; melt butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat; stir in flour and cayenne pepper; cook stirring for about 2 minutes.
• Add in cream and nutmeg; bring to a boil whisking/stirring constantly then cook for about 1 minute.
• Cool for about 10 minutes before whisking in the egg.
• Season with salt and black pepper.
• Remove about 1/2 cup bechamel sauce and mix into to the already cooked ground beef mixture.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• TO ASSEMBLE; spoon HALF of the ziti mixture into the bottom of the baking dish.
• Top the ziti mixture with ALL of the meat sauce, then top with remaining ziti mixture.
• Pour ALL the bechamel sauce over the ziti mixture then spread out with a spoon to cover.
• Top with about 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (can use more or less).
• Bake for about 50-60 minutes or until golden brown.
• Allow to rest for about 20 minutes before slicing.

NIKKI'S PERFECT PASTITSIO

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Toss with butter; add grated Parmesan cheese. Transfer to a greased 13x9-in. baking dish., Preheat oven to 350°. In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat 8-10 minutes or until beef is no longer pink, breaking beef into crumbles; drain. Add garlic; cook 2 minutes longer. Stir in tomato sauce, salt and cinnamon; heat through. Spoon over pasta. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese., In a large saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour, salt and pepper until smooth; gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 1-2 minutes or until thickened., In a small bowl, whisk a small amount of hot mixture into eggs; return all to pan, whisking constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir 2 minutes. Pour over beef mixture. Sprinkle with remaining cheese., Bake, covered, 20 minutes. Bake, uncovered, 30-40 minutes longer or until golden brown.,