Are you tired of classic lasagna? Then try this Greek alternative instead. This is a Greek pasta bake, called pastizio in Greece, that will delight all your senses.
Summer may be almost over, but the memories from your last vacation are still fresh. I traveled to Greece again with my family and, apart from the beautiful beaches, the food made the biggest impression on me. For the first colder days in September, I brought home the ultimate recipe for Greek home cooking. And now I'm sharing how you can prepare the authentic Greek pasta bake Pastizio yourself.
Greek Casseroles: What is Pastizio?
If you've never tried Pastizio, you don't know what you're missing. This classic Greek pasta bake consists of a layer of pasta covered in a savory beef and tomato sauce and finished with a special thick and creamy béchamel sauce. Simply delicious.
As with any country-specific dish, every Greek grandma has her own secrets for making pastizio, which she will pass on for future generations. A friend from Crete still revealed some of her grandmother's secrets to me. First of all you should use the right pasta, namely the tube-shaped bucatini and for the meat sauce you should use good ground beef. The secret spice for this recipe is ground nutmeg, which should be used to season both the meat and the béchamel. And the most important thing is a good béchamel sauce - it should be very soft and creamy, which actually requires two people - one to pour and the other to stir.
Have I piqued your interest? Then try the recipe yourself!
Obtain the following ingredients
The list of ingredients may seem a bit long, but it's definitely worth getting everything you need for the recipe. A large part of them are spices that guarantee the authentic taste of this Greek recipe.
For the noodle layer:
- 400 g bucatini (or other tube-shaped pasta)
- 100g feta, crumbled
- 2 egg whites
For the meat sauce:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 1 kg Rinderhack
- 180 ml dry red wine
- 800g crushed tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 Lorbeerblatt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 pinch of ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
For the béchamel sauce:
- 70 g Butter
- 100 g Flour
- 1 liter whole milk, at room temperature
- 1 pinch of ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 80 g grated hard cheese, e.g. B. Greek Kefalotyri or Italian Parmesan
- 2 egg yolks
Also interesting: For a light lunch or dinner, try this delicious oneRecipe for Greek feta casserole with tomatoes and peppersout of!
This is how the preparation goes step by step
For a delicious homemade pastizio, follow these steps:
1. Cook meat sauce
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over high heat and add the chopped garlic cloves and onions. Sauté the vegetables for 2-3 minutes until the onion is translucent and soft.
Add the ground beef and stir with a wooden spoon or whisk to break up the meat as it cooks. Cook and then stir until the meat is completely browned.
Deglaze with the red wine and stir well again. Let the meat cook for another 3-4 minutes until the wine has mostly evaporated.
Then add the tomatoes, tomato paste and spices and mix well. Once the sauce begins to simmer, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 40 minutes to an hour, allowing the liquid to evaporate. Stir occasionally.
When the meat sauce becomes thick, remove it from the heat and let it cool to room temperature.
Note:The meat sauce must be thick and not watery. Make sure that the liquid is reduced sufficiently.
2. Prepare the béchamel sauce
Heat the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir the flour into the melted butter to make a roux. Reduce the heat to low and cook the flour, stirring, about 2-3 minutes.
Slowly pour the room temperature milk into the roux, stirring the mixture constantly with a whisk (this is where a second hand comes in handy, right?). Whisk the mixture until there are no lumps. Then cook for another 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly, until the sauce has reached the consistency of a thick cream soup.
Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the nutmeg, cheese and salt. Let the sauce cool for 5 minutes.
After the sauce has cooled slightly, quickly stir in the egg yolks. Cover the sauce and set aside until needed.
Note:The egg yolk in the béchamel ensures that the sauce stays firm when baking and does not run out.
3. Cook the pasta
Follow the instructions on the package and cook the pasta until al dente. Drain them and return them to the pot. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then add the egg whites and mix until the pasta is well coated. Add the feta and stir well.
4. Assemble the pastizio and bake
And now everything is being put together! But first, preheat the oven to 180°C.
Then grease a large baking dish and add the pasta. Try to arrange them in the same direction as much as possible and smooth the surface with a wooden spoon.
Cover the pasta with the meat sauce and smooth the surface again.
Then pour the béchamel sauce over the meat and sprinkle the grated hard cheese on top.
Note:If the béchamel has cooled too much and is too thick, reheat it over low heat until it is pourable. If necessary, add some water to the sauce.
Bake the pasta casserole in the preheated oven for 30 minutes until the top turns golden brown.
