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Pastitsio
1 kg. large macaroni
1/2 kg. ground meat
2 mediums onions, chopped
2-3 ripe tomatoes, finely diced
2 cups olive oil
1 bay leaf
a little basil
150 grams kephalotyri or grated parmesan
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup flour
1 cup peanut oil
4 cups milk
3 eggs, beaten
150 grams kephalotyri or grated parmesan
salt and pepper to taste
a little nutmeg.
In a saute pan, heat the oil and add the flour while stirring
guickly with a spatula to avoid clumps. Heat the milk and add it
to the mixture, while wisking. [The recipe doesn't say this, but
let the sauce cook until it starts to thicken before continuing.
If you don't, it will taste "pasty" - KH] Remove the pan from the
heat and add the beaten eggs, the salt, the pepper, the cheese,
and the nutmeg, stirring constantly. If the sauce seems to thick,
add a little milk.
In a casserole, put a cup of oil and saute the onions until golden.
Then add the ground meat, stirring constantly for a few minutes to
avoid the formation of clumps, then the tomatoes, the salt, the
pepper, the bay leaf, the basil, and a little water. Let cook over
medium heat for around 30 minutes.
Cook the macaroni until "al dente" in a large quantity of salted
water, chill them and drain them. Then, in a large frying pan,
heat the second cup of oil to very high [it shouldn't smoke, but
a little of it should sizzle when it hits water - KH] and pour it
over the macarani.
In an oven-proof dish, arrange half of the macaroni, sprinkle them
with some of the grated cheese, and cover them with the meat mixture.
Over this, arrange the rest of the macaroni and sprinkle on some
more of the cheese. Pour the bechamel sauce in a thin, steady
stream over the entire mixture, so that it coats every surface.
Sprinkle on the rest of the cheese and put in the oven. Bake at
high heat for 20 minutes. Let cool, cut into large pieces/portions
and serve immediately.
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Pastitsio 02