Pastitsio - Baked Pasta with Meat and Bechamel Topping
"When teaching others to make this dish, I have often joked that the word pastitsio (pa-STEE-tsee-oh) translates to "messy kitchen" in Greek. I was only kidding, but there is a hint of truth to that statement. The Greek word pastitsio derives from the Italian pasticcio, which loosely translates to a mess or a hodgepodge. Three essential components make up this dish - pasta, meat filling, and a creamy bechamel sauce which are layered in a pan and baked to a golden brown. Each stage will require dirtying some pots and pans, but I think you will agree that the end result is well worth the clean up!..."
INGREDIENTS
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1/2 cup olive oil
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2 lbs. ground beef (or ground lamb, or a mixture of both)
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1 large yellow onion, chopped
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1 cup dry white wine
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1 14 oz. can tomato puree or sauce
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3 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
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1/2 tsp. ground allspice
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1 tsp. ground cinnamon
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1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese (or Kefalotyri if available)
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salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
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3 tbsp. breadcrumbs
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1 pkg. #2 Macaroni for Pastitsio (500g)- available at Greek or ethnic groceries. You can substitute ziti or penne
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4 egg whites (reserve the yolks for bechamel sauce)
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1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
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For the bechamel sauce:
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1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
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1 cup all purpose flour
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1 quart milk, warmed
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8 egg yolks, beaten lightly
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a pinch of ground nutmeg
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Note: Cut pasta like ziti or penne can flatten more than the long Pastitsio noodles, which tend to get twisted when layered. I suggest cooking 2 lbs. of cut pasta to ensure that you have adequate coverage of the pan. If you prefer, you can scale that
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