Name: Greek pastitsio
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 110 min
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: Beef
Ingredients: 1 kg mince beef; 2 onions large, finely chopped; 3 carrots large, peeled and finely chopped; 3 celery stalks finely chopped; 4 garlic cloves, crushed; 2 bay leaves; 2 tinned tomatoes chopped; 1 tomato paste small tin; 350 ml stock beef; 1 tsp dried mint; 1 Tbs dried oregano; 1 tsp nutmeg ground; 1 tsp cloves ground; 1 tsp cumin ground; 2 tsp sugar; salt and freshly ground black pepper; 75 g butter; 40 g flour; 650 ml milk heated; 1 tsp nutmeg ground; 1 tsp paprika; 1 cup mature cheddar cheese grated; salt and freshly ground black pepper to tatse; 1 kg pasta penne, cooked; oil for frying

Recipe Disclaimer

Tap for method

Ingredients (25)

1 kg	mince — beef
2	onions — large, finely chopped
3	carrots — large, peeled and finely chopped
3	celery stalks — finely chopped
4	garlic — cloves, crushed
2	bay leaves
2	tinned tomatoes — chopped
1	tomato paste — small tin
350 ml	stock — beef
1 tsp	dried mint
1 Tbs	dried oregano
1 tsp	nutmeg — ground
1 tsp	cloves — ground
1 tsp	cumin — ground
2 tsp	sugar
	salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the béchamel:

75 g	butter
40 g	flour
650 ml	milk — heated
1 tsp	nutmeg — ground
1 tsp	paprika
1 cup	mature cheddar cheese — grated
	salt and freshly ground black pepper — to tatse
1 kg	pasta — penne, cooked
	oil — for frying

Tap for ingredients

Method:

Start by making the
meat sauce. In a large pot, fry the minced beef until browned. Remove from the
pan and set aside.

In the same pot, fry
the onions, carrots, celery and garlic until soft and fragrant. Add the bay
leaves. Add the minced beef back into the pot and add the tomatoes, tomato
paste, beef stock, herbs and sugar. Allow to come to simmering point and turn
the heat down.

Place the lid on the
pot and allow to simmer gently for 30 minutes.

Pre-heat the oven to
180°c and grease an oven proof dish (make sure it’s big enough).

To make the béchamel,
gently melt the butter in a saucepan ensuring it doesn’t change colour. Stir in
the flour until a glossy paste is formed.

Slowly pour in the
warm milk. Only pour in a few tablespoons at a time and make sure that it’s
well incorporated before adding again. When half of the milk has been
incorporated, switch to a balloon whisk and add larger amount of the milk
whilst whisking. The sauce should be thick and smooth.

Remove the saucepan
from the heat and stir in the spices and cheese. Season to taste. At this
point, also check the seasoning of the meat sauce and adjust.

To assemble the pastitsio,
combine the cooked pasta with just over half of the Béchamel sauce.

Carefully transfer
half of the pasta to your prepared oven dish.

Next, pour over all of
the meat sauce and smooth out. Follow with the rest of the pasta and finally
the remaining of the Béchamel sauce.

Place the assembled pastitsio
into the pre-heated oven and allow to bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown
and bubbling.

Remove the pastitsio
from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving with a mixed salad
and crusty bread.

Reprinted with
permission of Simply Delicious.

To visit Simply Delicious’ blog, click here.