pastitsio

How To Make pastitsio

• 1

  MEAT SAUCE:
• 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.
• 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.
• 4

  When the meat is almost done; add tomato paste. Stir until well combined and finish cooking the meat.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 9

  BÉCHAMEL SAUCE:
• 10

  In a 4-quart pot over medium heat, add butter and when melted, add flour; whisk the roux for 5 minutes.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 14

  PASTA:
• 15

  In a large pot, boil salted water before adding the noodles. Cook 3 minutes LESS than the package directions.
• 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.
• 17

  ASSEMBLY:
• 18

  Preheat oven to 350ºF/177ºC
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 22

  When time is up, put the broiler on “low” and continue to bake for 5 to 8 minutes or until nice and brown.
• 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.
• 24

  To view this recipe on YouTube, click on this link >>>> https://youtu.be/i98CdmRDcRY
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