Cookbook:Pasta Casserole (Pastitsio)

This recipe for pastitsio has been improved on over the generations. The reason why this is cooked on the stove top & only browned in the oven is that in Greek villages there was a shared village oven. So dishes like these were popular as they could be browned after the bread had been baked.

Meat sauce

 * 2 tablespoons olive oil
 * 2 medium onions, chopped
 * 750 g minced meat
 * 400–450 g canned chopped tomatoes
 * ⅓ cup tomato paste
 * ½ cup water
 * ¼ cup dry white wine
 * 1 tablespoon beef stock powder
 * ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder
 * 1 egg, beaten lightly

Greek-style bechamel sauce

 * 100 g butter
 * ½ cup plain flour
 * 3½ cups milk
 * 1 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese
 * 2 egg yolks

Pasta mix

 * 250 g macaroni pasta (or Greek pastitsio noodles)
 * 2 eggs, beaten lightly
 * ¾ cup grated fresh Parmesan or Feta cheese

Assembly

 * 2 tablespoons stale breadcrumbs

Equipment

 * 2.5-litre (10-cup) baking dish (metal, glass or ceramic are fine)
 * 2 large saucepans for meat sauce and pasta
 * 1 medium-to-large saucepan for Bechamel sauce

Meat sauce

 * 1) Heat olive oil in pan. Add the chopped onions and sauté until translucent.
 * 2) Add the minced meat, and cook until well browned.
 * 3) Add the chopped canned tomatoes, liquid and all.
 * 4) Add the tomato paste, water, wine, beef stock powder, and cinnamon powder. Simmer uncovered until it becomes thick in consistency.
 * 5) Once thick transfer into a mixing bowl to cool.
 * 6) Once cool, stir in egg.

Greek-style Bechamel sauce

 * 1) Melt the butter in pan.
 * 2) Add the flour, and stir well over heat until bubbling.
 * 3) Remove pan from heat, and gradually add the milk. The mixture will become thick and will then thin again.
 * 4) Return pan to heat, and cook until sauce bubbles then thickens.
 * 5) Stir in Parmesan cheese until melted and smooth.
 * 6) Transfer to mixing bowl and cool slightly.
 * 7) Mix in the egg yolks.

Pasta mix

 * 1) Boil the pasta as per directions on packet until tender.
 * 2) Drain pasta, and transfer to mixing bowl.
 * 3) Mix the hot pasta with the Parmesan cheese and eggs.

Assembly

 * 1) Grease baking dish.
 * 2) Press pasta mix into base of pan.
 * 3) Top pasta mix with the meat sauce.
 * 4) Pour the Bechamel sauce over the meat sauce, then smooth the top.
 * 5) Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the top.
 * 6) In a preheated oven, bake at 180°C (350°F) for 1 hour until golden brown.
 * 7) Let rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Notes, tips, and variations

 * To avoid a large clean up at the end, just reuse the same saucepan.
 * Leftovers freeze well, so it is a great freezer cooking dish.
 * It is a good idea to start your meat sauce first as this needs to cool before you can begin construction.