Pastitsio is a classic Greek dish that combines layers of pasta, ground meat, and a creamy béchamel sauce. It's a hearty and flavorful dish that's perfect for a special occasion or a weeknight meal. This recipe article provides two versions of pastitsio: a traditional version and a vegetarian version.
The traditional pastitsio recipe starts with a layer of cooked pasta, typically penne or macaroni. The pasta is then topped with a layer of ground beef or lamb that's been cooked with onions, garlic, and spices. The third layer is a creamy béchamel sauce, made with milk, butter, flour, and nutmeg. The pastitsio is then baked until the top is golden brown and bubbly.
The vegetarian pastitsio recipe follows a similar process, but it uses lentils and vegetables instead of meat. The lentils are cooked with onions, garlic, and spices, and then they're mixed with cooked pasta and a béchamel sauce. The vegetarian pastitsio is then baked until it's golden brown and bubbly.
Both versions of pastitsio are delicious and satisfying. The traditional pastitsio is a classic dish that's sure to please everyone at the table, while the vegetarian pastitsio is a healthy and flavorful alternative.
PASTITSIO - GREEK LASAGNA
Make and share this Pastitsio - Greek Lasagna recipe from Food.com.
Provided by KelBel
Categories Penne
Time 1h30m
Yield 8 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Cook pasta and drain.
- While pasta is cooking, brown meat in heavy skillet, add onion and garlic and cook until soft.
- Mix in cinnamon and tomato sauce.
- In a saucepan, melt butter, whisk in flour and cook 1 minute, whisk in milk and simmer 20 minutes.
- Add beaten eggs and 1/4 cup parmesan to white sauce.
- In a buttered two quart casserole dish, add half pasta, top with meat mixture, add the rest of the pasta.
- Pour white sauce over the top.
- Sprinkle with remaining parmesan cheese.
- Bake 60 minutes.
PASTITSIO - GREEK BAKED ZITI/LASAGNA
Pastitsio is a classic Greek dish that is similar to baked ziti or lasagna. The dish has three main parts: pasta (ziti), tomato sauce with lamb, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice, as well as a bechamel sauce.
Provided by cookingandbeer
Categories Lamb/Sheep
Time 1h45m
Yield 8 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- Add the olive oil to a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the ground beer and lamb and cook for 5-6 minutes, or just until you do not see any more pink.
- Add the onion and garlic and continue to cook until the onions are soft and the garlic is very fragrant, about 4-5 minutes. Salt and pepper generously.
- Pour the white wine into the sauté pan and stir. Allow the wine to reduce by at least half before adding the tomato puree, oregano, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon nutmeg, and allspice.
- Bring the sauce to a simmer and allow to simmer for 20-30 minutes or until the sauce is quick thick. Set aside.
- While the tomato sauce is simmering, bring your water for the pasta in a stock pot to a boil. Cook the pasta as per the directions on the packaging except cut back the time by 1-2 minutes so that you don't end up with super mushy noodles in the end.
- While the pasta is cooking begin preparing the béchamel sauce by melting the butter in a large sauté pan. Once melted, slowly add the flour, whisking continuously to fully incorporate the fat and flour to make a roux. Continuing whisking for 2-3 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste.
- Slowly add the milk to the roux, again whisking continuously.
- Add the 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg and allspice to the béchamel and let cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- Place the egg yolks in a small bowl, and, while mixing them continuously, slowly add a tablespoon of the béchamel to the yolks at a time. Do this 4 or 5 times to temper the eggs. Then add the egg mixture to the béchamel and whisk to combine fully. Set aside. Note: DO NOT dump the yolks directly into the hot béchamel sauce without tempering them first or else you will end up with scrambled eggs.
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
- Once the pasta is cooked, strain it. Place 1/2 cup of butter in the empty stock pot and, once melted, add the ziti along with the egg whites. Toss to combine but be careful not to break the noodles.
- To assemble the pastitsio, in a 13 by 9 pyrex baking dish, apply a layer of cooking spray so that the food does not adhere to the dish. Then, spread the ziti across the bottom of the dish, being sure to evenly distribute the noodles. Then, place the tomato sauce on the ziti. Top the tomato sauce with the béchamel, making sure that the entire dish is covered. Sprinkle the freshly grated parmesan cheese on top and place in the over, uncovered, for 45 minutes or until the cheese and béchamel sauce start to brown slightly. Allow to rest for 5-10 minutes.
- Serve by cutting square or rectangular pieces (just as if you were serving lasagna).
PASTITSIO (GREEK LASAGNA)
Pastitsio is a popular dish served at family gatherings and elegant buffet dinners. The bechamel sauce on top makes for its uniqueness.
Provided by Broke Guy
Categories Macaroni And Cheese
Time 1h50m
Yield 24 squares
Number Of Ingredients 19
Steps:
- In a large saucepan, saute onions in butter until opaque. Crumble beef into saucepan and brown.well. Drain off the fat.
- Add salt, pepper, tomato sauce, water and sugar. Stir well and simmer 35-40 minutes. At this point there should be very little water in the sauce.
- Remove from heat and cool. The meat sauce can be made ahead of time.
- In a saucepan, melt butter and then add in the flour, stiring constantly using a wire whisk. Gradually add the warm milk, stirring vigorously until sauce thickens. Add nutmeg, remove from heat and cool.
- When ready to use meat sauce, add half of the bread crumbs and 1 1/4 cups parmesan cheese. Stir well and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Cook the macaroni per package directions in boiling salted water until almost al dente. Drain well, stir in the olive oil and set aside.
- Butter an 11x17 inch baking pan and sprinkle with 2 tbsp bread crumbs. Spread half of the macaroni across the baking pan and sprinkle 1/2 cup cheese over top.
- Beat the eggs in a bowl using a wire whisk and add in 1/2 cup of the cooled bechamel sauce. Stir well and then add egg mixture into the rest of the bechamel sauce. Add the cheese and stir well.
- Cover macaroni layer with meat sauce. Pour half of the bechamel sauce over the meat and cover with remaining macaroni. Sprinkle 1/2 cup cheese over macaroni layer.
- Top macaroni layer with remaining bechamel sauce and top with remaining bread crumbs and cheese.
- Cook in the oven on a center rack for 50 minutes or until golden brown. Let sit 20 minutes to firm up before cutting and serving.
- This casserole freezes well and is easy to reheat. Place the frozen pastitsio, covered loosely with foil, in a 350 degree oven for 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours or until heated through.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 368.8, Fat 21.2, SaturatedFat 11.3, Cholesterol 129, Sodium 414.1, Carbohydrate 24.1, Fiber 1.2, Sugar 1.8, Protein 20
PASTITSIO (GREEK LASAGNA)
Well, it is that time of year for the Greek festivals in our area (always in July) & I thought I would post one of our favorite Greek dishes. I love making this for Christmas, New Year's Day or any special occasion. This is one amazing recipe that you're sure to fall in love with. The spices make it distinctively different. It...
Provided by Kimberly Biegacki
Categories Other Main Dishes
Time 1h15m
Number Of Ingredients 22
Steps:
- 1. Saute onion in large skillet in butter till soft. Stir in ground beef till lightly browned season with salt, cinnamon & oregano. Stir in tomato puree, garlic & parsley. Cover & simmer gently for 20 minutes. Cook macaroni al dente; add a little salt.
- 2. Melt butter in pan and blend in flour (use a whisk to blend well).
- 3. Stir in milk & cook stirring constantly to make a thin white sauce. Beat egg yolks lightly in another dish. Dip out 1 cup of the sauce and pour it in a thin stream & stirring constantly into the yolk mixture until well blended. Pour mixture back into the rest of the sauce and stir for a few minutes over medium heat till it thickens. Add your nutmeg, salt and pepper.
- 4. Grease 9x13 casserole dish and then put in a thin layer of macaroni.
- 5. Next, layer with the meat sauce. Finish with layer of macaroni.
- 6. Pour the creamy sauce over all of it. Jiggle the pan so the sauce runs through all the layers and then sprinkle with the top with parmesan cheese.
- 7. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Put foil over the top if it starts to get to brown. Remove from oven and let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes before cutting and serving. Enjoy.
- 8. Slice into squares and serve.
- 9. May 14th, 2015 ---- Made up a pan of this for dinner.
PASTITSIO - GREEK LASAGNA
I love pastitsio! I try it at each Greek restaurant I visit. This recipe is the closest I have to good Pastitsio in a Greek restaurant. They don't use Parmesan but it is a good substitute. Some restaurants put tomato sauce on top also.
Provided by Patrice Manning
Categories Beef
Time 35m
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- 1. Cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- 2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.
- 3. Stir in the tomato sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt, oregano, pepper and cinnamon if desired; heat through.
- 4. Place half of macaroni in a greased 9-in. square baking pan. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup cheese.
- 5. Layer with meat mixture and remaining macaroni. Set aside.
- 6. In a small saucepan, melt butter; stir in flour until smooth. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.
- 7. Remove from the heat. Stir a small amount of the hot mixture into egg; return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes.
- 8. Remove from the heat; stir in remaining cheese. Pour sauce over macaroni.
- 9. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Tips:
- Use fresh ingredients: Fresh, high-quality ingredients will make a big difference in the flavor of your pastitsio. Look for ripe tomatoes, zucchini, and eggplant, and use fresh herbs like oregano and basil.
- Cook the pasta al dente: The pasta should be cooked al dente, or slightly firm to the bite. This will help it hold its shape and prevent it from becoming mushy in the pastitsio.
- Make sure the béchamel sauce is thick and creamy: The béchamel sauce is one of the key components of pastitsio. It should be thick and creamy, but not too thick. If the sauce is too thick, it will be difficult to spread over the pasta. If it is too thin, it will be runny and won't hold its shape.
- Layer the pastitsio carefully: When you are assembling the pastitsio, be sure to layer the ingredients carefully. Start with a layer of pasta, then add a layer of meat sauce, then a layer of béchamel sauce. Repeat these layers until you have used up all of the ingredients.
- Bake the pastitsio until it is golden brown: The pastitsio should be baked until it is golden brown on top. This will help to create a crispy crust and will also help to set the béchamel sauce.
Conclusion:
Pastitsio is a delicious and hearty Greek dish that is perfect for a special occasion or a weeknight meal. It is a versatile dish that can be made with a variety of different ingredients, so you can easily customize it to your own taste. With its layers of pasta, meat sauce, and béchamel sauce, pastitsio is a sure-fire hit with everyone at the table.
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