Pastitsio
Taken from Mark Bittman's book, "How to Cook Everything." It says, "Often referred to as Greek lasagne, pastitsio is, generally speaking, easier to make and equally delicious. Like lasagne, it can be made in a variety of ways; this is the classic version. Use a meatless tomato sauce if you prefer."
Total Steps
10
Ingredients
10
Tools Needed
11
Ingredients
- 2 cups freshly grated parmesan or hard feta cheese
- 4 cups meat sauce, Bolognese-style (Ragu) or other tomato sauce
- salt and freshly ground pepper(optional)
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 3 cups milk
- 1/4 cup flour
- 8 tablespoons butter
- 1 pound ziti, penne, elbows, or other cut pasta
- 4 tablespoons plain bread crumbs
Instructions
Step 1
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Step 2
Melt the butter in a 2-quart saucepan over low heat. Salt the boiling water and cook the pasta until barely tender, not quite done enough to eat.
Step 3
Drain the pasta. Place pasta in a large bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons of the melted butter and 2 tablespoons of the bread crumbs. Set aside.
Step 4
Grease a large baking pan or casserole with 1 tablespoon of the melted butter.
Step 5
In a small saucepan or microwave, heat the milk until small bubbles appear.
Step 6
Reheat the remaining butter and stir almost constantly with a wire whisk until the mixture turns golden.
Step 7
Slowly add the heated milk, whisking constantly; cook, whisking, until the mixture thickens. Add the nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
Step 8
Stir a couple of tablespoons of the hot sauce into the beaten eggs, then gradually add a little more. Pour this egg mixture back into the sauce and stir. Add most of the Parmesan (reserving some for sprinkling) and stir again.
Step 9
Put half the pasta in the baking dish. Cover with half the tomato sauce. Layer with the remaining pasta, then cover with the remaining tomato sauce. Pour all the cheese sauce over the top. Sprinkle with the reserved Parmesan or feta and the remaining bread crumbs (an additional grating of nutmeg is optional).
Step 10
Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the top turns golden brown. Let rest a few minutes before serving.