pastitsio

How To Make pastitsio

• Step 1
  MEAT SAUCE:
• Step 2
  In a large saucepan over medium heat, add oil and when hot, add onions and sprinkle on ground sea salt; sauté for 2 minutes.
• Step 3
  Add ground lamb and ground beef; cook until browned, breaking into small pieces. Halfway through cooking, season with freshly ground black pepper before adding pressed garlic; stir well.
• Step 4
  When the meat is almost done; add tomato paste. Stir until well combined and finish cooking the meat.
• Step 5
  Add dry red wine, stir, increase the heat to medium-high, and cook until the liquid is evaporated including the fat, about 8 to 10 minutes.
• Step 6
  Add fire roasted crushed tomatoes, granulated sugar, thyme leaves, oregano, cinnamon, ground cloves, freshly ground black pepper and ground sea salt. Stir to blend and add bay leaf.
• Step 7
  Reduce the heat to medium-low and let it simmer gently for 30 to 35 minutes or until the sauce thickens, stirring occasionally. If desired, add cayenne pepper to the mixture.
• Step 8
  When time is up and the sauce is thick, discard the bay leaf and remove from the heat and let it cool off while making the béchamel sauce.
• Step 9
  BÉCHAMEL SAUCE:
• Step 10
  In a 4-quart pot over medium heat, add butter and when melted, add flour; whisk the roux for 5 minutes.
• Step 11
  Pour in the warm milk while whisking continuously until all incorporated and the sauce is smooth with no lumps. Add freshly grated nutmeg, ground sea salt and white pepper; whisk until well blended.
• Step 12
  Temper the egg yolks by scooping up some béchamel and slowly adding it to them, whisking constantly. After a few ladles, add warmed yolks to the pot and whisk them into the mixture.
• Step 13
  Add a ¼ cup at a time of Kefalotyri cheese and whisk until well incorporated between each addition. Keep the sauce warm while looking after the pasta.
• Step 14
  PASTA:
• Step 15
  In a large pot, boil salted water before adding the noodles. Cook 3 minutes LESS than the package directions.
• Step 16
  When time is up, drain very well before returning the pasta back to the pot. Add egg whites and cheese; stir gently to coat.
• Step 17
  ASSEMBLY:
• Step 18
  Preheat oven to 350ºF/177ºC
• Step 19
  Place pasta mixture in a large 9x13x3-inch deep baking dish, lightly greased. Arrange the noodles lengthwise to get them lined up, using a pasta fork or clean hands.
• Step 20
  Top the noodles with the meat sauce and evenly spread it out, pressing it down gently and leveling it out. Sprinkle on 1 cup of cheese before pouring in béchamel sauce; spread it out evenly and smoothing out the surface with a spatula. Sprinkle on 1 ½ cups of cheese to evenly cover the entire surface.
• Step 21
  Place the baking dish on a large baking sheet just in case it overflows and transfer to the preheated oven. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until the top starts getting a little brown.
• Step 22
  When time is up, put the broiler on “low” and continue to bake for 5 to 8 minutes or until nice and brown.
• Step 23
  Carefully remove from the heat, sprinkle on some fresh chopped parsley and let it rest for 15 minutes before serving so it stays together for a nice presentation.
• Step 24
  To view this recipe on YouTube, click on this link >>>> https://youtu.be/i98CdmRDcRY
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