Usually, we visit Corfu, Greece every August, my father-in-law’s native island. This summer, we are going to the Netherlands instead for a wedding so we will miss the blue seas, hot sun and the food…. oh the food!
Just this week I started feeling sad and forlorn about all the things I would not eat this summer. Instead of wallowing in self pity, I decided to start making some of my favorite dishes. I turned to my trusty, dog-eared, Greek cooking handbook. This little book is so dated it is hilarious but has all you need inside to prepare the best Greek feasts. In Corfu, the bookstore carries it in about 15 languages. I often like to image others in Japan or Norway paging through their little blue manual recreating Greek vacation flavors.
Pasticcio is similar to lasagna with less cheese, a thick layer of bechamel sauce on top and special long, hollow-shaped noodles. Do the shape of the noodles really matter? YES! (But, that is a long debate for another blog discussion.) The pasticcio noodels are basically uncut macaroni. You can perhaps find them at a local ethnic grocer. If not, look for bucatini or as a last resort, use regular macaroni. Although, the idea of someone making this with regular macaroni so upsets me that I am almost willing to mail someone a package of noodles if you are seriously considering this recipe and have made every attempt to find the noodles and failed.
The recipe is a bit time consuming as you have to boil noodles, prepare the meat sauce and the bechamel before assembling and baking. But, when you are finished, you will have a huge pan of deliciousness that just tastes betters as the days go on. Pasticcio is leftover heaven.
For an even more authentic experience, serve Pasticcio with Greek Salad and Retsina wine. Follow it with some baklava or Greek yogurt with honey and walnuts.
Like many Greek dishes I have learned to prepare, I have learned to adjust a little of this and a little of that over time to get it just right. Throughout the recipe, I have added my own tips. But, be sure you are tasting regularly and adjusting as needed along the way.
Pasticcio
Meat Sauce:
1 T butter
2 lbs. ground beef
1 small onion, chopped finely
1 clove garlic
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 Tablespoon dried greek oregano
and/or fresh chopped parsley
1/2 cup white wine
1 can (14oz) diced tomatoes
1 small can tomato paste
2 egg whites
Bechamel Sauce:
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup flour
4 cups hot milk
salt and pepper
nutmeg
1 cup grated cheese
2 eggs and 2 egg yolks
Noodles:
1 lb. pasticcio (macaroni) noodles
1 T salt
2 T butter
1 cup grated cheese
For the Meat Sauce:
Heat butter in pan and saute the onions, garlic and meat until browned. Add remaining ingredients except egg whites. Be generous with the spices and taste regularly. Be sure there is enough salt to bring out the flavor. I always add quite a bit more than the recipe calls for. Let the sauce simmer for 10-15 minutes. Turn off and stir until slightly cooled. Stir in egg whites. (Save the yolks for the bechamel.) You do not want the sauce so hot that it cookes the egg whites immediately. They should be incorporated.
For the Bechamel:
Melt butter in heavy saucepan. Add the flour and whisk for about 1 minute. Add the milk all at once and whisk until sauce is thickened and smooth. I usually heat the milk in another pan or in the microwave before adding. That and a quality, even heating sauce pan help make the best sauce. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste. I add quite a healthy dose of each, probably at least 1/2-1 teaspoon. Remove from heat and stir in eggs and cheese. A sharper white cheese works well like Parmesan or Asagio. I do not think Mozzarella has enough flavor.
For the noodles:
Bring water to a boil with salt. Cook noodles until tender but slightly firm. Drain very well and return to pan. Stir in butter.
Asssembly:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a large, deep pan (lasagna pan works well). You can see by the amount of ingredients you have, this makes a large dish and serves at least 8 people.
Put half the noodles in the pan and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of cheese. Top the noodles with the meat sauce. Place the rest of the noodles on the meat sauce. Pour the bechamel over the top. Sprinkle on the remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Some of the noodles will be sticking through the top which is good because they get brown and crunchy in the oven. Bake for approximatley 1 hour or until top is lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let sit at least 15 minutes before cutting and serving.
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August 13th, 2007 at 2:31 am
Looks fantastic! And I’m sure you’ll have a great time in the Netherlands instead too, plus generally there are a quite a few Greek restaurants around in case you miss the food
August 14th, 2007 at 12:58 am
Oh, perfect! I have some bucatini I want to use up and was dreading wasting it on jarred tomato sauce. I’m going to get right on this.
August 14th, 2007 at 8:48 am
Wow, this looks heavenly. It’s going to be a little cooler this week here where I live, so if I can find the noodles, I’ll be in business.
August 27th, 2007 at 8:20 am
[…] I think our grocery bill is going to take a nose-dive, not that I mind. With the 2nd job I won’t be home as often to cook and Mr. H would spontaneously combust if he had to prepare a real meal for himself. An added bonus- I think it’ll help get me back on track with Weight Watchers because I’m not home to graze the cupboards as much. Monday: Cheddar Bacon Hamburgers Tuesday: Pasticcio from Whipped. Wednesday: Chicken Noodle soup - Is that a weird thing to have in late August? It’s such a winter food but it’s easy and makes a lot at least. Thursday: I work from 8am-10pm so Mr. H is on his own. He could have left over soup but I’m sure he’ll have PopTarts or something equally disgusting. Friday: Leftover soup; I’ll also be making a bunch of taco meat for Mr. H to survive on over the weekend Sat & Sun: Tacos for Mr. H since I’ll be working all weekend. As always, don’t forget to go to Organizing Junkie to see what others are eating. […]
September 10th, 2007 at 8:49 am
A friend of a friend made this for them, they passed me a slice knowing how much I like Greek food.
To say I was knocked out would be an understatement, I think I actually died and went to heaven for a moment. I will now bew attempting this some time this week.
October 21st, 2007 at 2:22 pm
[…] Notes for Pasticcio: […]
June 19th, 2008 at 7:09 pm
This recipe Kick’s A*s. I cooked it tonight for the first time and my family loved it. I only played slightly with the amounts to adjust for individual taste. It took almost three hours with prep and baking. But i would guess now that know the process it could be done in 1.5 to 2 hours.
Thank You for this!!!!! You are some kind of hero!!!
Sincerely Jason Speer
June 22nd, 2008 at 5:48 pm
One more comment from about how great this recipe is. I gave some to a friend, he said it was like lasagna on “Steriods”.
Thanks again.
Jason Speer
ps i wolud love any other recipes you have if you are willing to share. I dont have any recipes per say but can recommend some spices for certain dishes. Thanks again