Recipe: Flavorful Pastitsio (Greek Pasta Bake)

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We hope you got benefit from reading it, now let's go back to pastitsio (greek pasta bake) recipe. To make pastitsio (greek pasta bake) you need 18 ingredients and 13 steps. Here is how you achieve it.

The ingredients needed to make Pastitsio (Greek Pasta Bake):

1. Get of ground beef or lamb.
2. Provide of onion - diced.
3. Use of garlic - minced.
4. Use of tomato sauce (approx 1 - 8 oz can).
5. Prepare of dry red wine - I use shiraz.
6. Get of petite diced tomatoes (14.5 oz can).
7. Provide of parsley.
8. Prepare of salt.
9. Prepare of cinnamon.
10. Take of nutmeg.
11. Use of pepper.
12. Provide of pasta - macaroni or ziti.
13. Provide of eggs - divided.
14. Use of shredded parmesan cheese - divided.
15. Use of olive oil.
16. Take of butter (1 stick).
17. You need of ap flour.
18. Take of milk.

Instructions to make Pastitsio (Greek Pasta Bake):

1. Preheat oven to 375° and grease/spray a 13x9 baking dish..
2. In a large skillet - brown ground beef and onion. Drain. Add garlic and cook for another 2-3 minutes..
3. Add in tomato sauce, wine, can of undrained diced tomatoes and seasonings. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste - adjust seasoning if desired..
4. While meat is simmering - cook pasta. Do not overcook - pasta should be just shy of al dente..
5. Drain pasta. Return pasta to pot and mix in olive oil, 2 beaten eggs and 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese..
6. Now start the bechamel/white sauce. In a large saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Add in flour and whisk until it's a smooth paste. Cook for a minute or two but do not brown..
7. Slowly add in milk and cook for a few minutes, whisking constantly, until sauce thickens..
8. Remove from heat. Season to taste with salt, pepper & a bit of nutmeg. Mix in 2 beaten eggs & remaining 1 cup of parmesan cheese. This will be a very thick sauce - if it's too thick to work with you can add a bit more milk..
9. Assembly time : ) Spread half of the pasta mixture evenly on the bottom of the casserole dish - make sure bottom is completely covered..
10. Evenly spread the entire meat mixture over bottom pasta layer..
11. Top meat with remaining pasta..
12. Pour the bechamel/sauce on top of noodles. With a spoon spread sauce making sure to get edges and corners. Sauce should be nearly to top of casserole dish - you may have a little leftover..
13. Bake for 45 minutes - top will be golden brown. Let rest for 20 minutes before cutting. Enjoy : ).

The Pastitsio (or Pastichio) is a famous Greek pasta bake with a spiced meat sauce and a silky béchamel. It's ideal for a delicious Sunday dinner You may also know it as Greek pasta bake, and you know that this is the food to serve whenever you want your loved ones to sit around the table and. I think using minced lamb and ground cinnamon in the meat sauce, and Greek yoghurt in the bechamel sauce makes it taste like real Greek food. My son had three helpings last night. Greek Pastitsio recipe - this Greek pasta bake with cheese sauce closely resembles Lasagne and will be a hit with the entire family.

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