Pastitsio – Greek pasta bake

As I probably mentioned before, most of my memories are somehow associated with food. No wonder then that a year I spent in Greece long ago still feels more like a culinary journey than a personal one. Admittedly the region has it pretty easy thanks to amazing fresh produce. Great quality ingredients don’t need much manipulation to make a winning dish. Wedges of ripe tomatoes, chunks of feta, generously peppered with oregano and literally bathing in a bowl of olive oil. (As my local friends used to joke: “It’s not a salad unless you can baptize a baby in the abundance of oil”.) Certainly add a freshly baked crusty loaf that you must use to soak up every last drop. And there you have a it. A simple yet rich and rustic meal. But then realize that’s all only the appetizer and you will understand how hearty average meals are.

Unfortunately I never truly got into moussaka. At least not in the way a traditional dish demands. This pastitsio though, is a whole different story. You would be hard pressed to find someone who doesn’t like it. Layer some pasta, meaty tomato sauce and creamy cheese topping and you’ve got yourself pastitsio. Although you will need to dirty 3 different pots in the process, the end result is totally worth it. Normally it’s made with bucatini but since it can be difficult to find, spaghetti is a perfectly acceptable substitute.

Pastitsio ingredients:

For the meat sauce:

• 750g minced beef
• 500ml tomato puree
• 3 garlic cloves
• small bunch parsley
• small bunch mint

For the pasta:

• 500g spaghetti
• 3 egg whites

For the cheese topping:

• 100g butter
• 1/2c flour
• 3c milk
• 3 egg yolks
• 250g cheddar cheese
• 1/4c breadcrumbs

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the 500g spaghetti according to the package instructions. Meanwhile, cook 750g minced beef in a large pan over high heat until browned. When almost all liquid has evaporated, add 500ml tomato puree, 3 crushed garlic cloves and chopped bunches of parsley and mint. Stir well, bring to boil, reduce heat and let simmer for about 10 minutes. Once cooked, season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. While the pasta and meat are cooking, grate 250g cheddar cheese and separate 3 eggs. Lightly beat the egg whites in a small bowl.
3. Drain the spaghetti and rinse it under cold water. Add the beaten egg whites and toss to coat.
4. Melt 100g butter in a medium pot.
5. Add 1/2c flour to the melted butter and stir over low heat until lightly golden.
6. Gradually add 3c milk to the pot, about a cup at a time, stirring well after each addition to avoid lumps.
7. Stir constantly over medium heat until the mixture boils and thickens.
8. Take the sauce off the heat and carefully stir in the grated cheese.
9. Once the cheese is well combined, stir the egg yolks into the cheese sauce.
10. Preheat the oven to 180C (355F). Lightly grease a large baking dish and spread half the spaghetti mixture over the bottom.
11. Then spread the meat sauce over the spaghetti.
12. Afterwards cover the meat with the remaining spaghetti.
13. Finally top with the cheese sauce and sprinkle all over with 1/4c breadcrumbs.
14. Bake in the preheated oven for about 1 hour.

Once baked, slice into portions and serve hot, warm or cold. This keeps pretty well in the refrigerator for a few days and apparently can be frozen too.

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