Receta Recipes Inspired From Around The World: Greece
Welcome To Recipes Inspired
From Around The World.
Country: Greece
Recipe: Pastitsio
Serve Pastitsio with small glasses of Ouzo~
Ouzo is an anise flavored colorless Greek liqueur.
'Opa!'
Traditional Specialties~
Ouzo: Ouzo is the most famous Greek alcohol beverage, the trademark of the country. It is a strong
alcohol drink, drinkable straight with ice or with a bit of water. Ouzo happens to be my personal favorite:) The best ouzo is made in Lesvos and the famous trades are Ouzo Plomariou and Barbayanni.
For a list of fantastic Greek Wines go to: Greek Wines
Herbs: Famous herbs of great quality are easy to find in Greece. They are; chamomile, the mountain tea, sage, basil, mint, parsley, tilio, and oregano. Greek spices are; white sesame, cumin, machlepi and red saffron.
Olive oil: You can not mention Greece with out mentioning Olive Oil.
Read all about it here: Olive Oil
Greek Mezedes~ (appetizers)
1. Saganaki: Fried Cheese, many varieties are used Excellent with a zest of lemon.
2. Keftedakia: Fried meatballs of beef, garlic and bread
Greek Salads~
1. Horiatiki Salata: Is a mix of fresh tomatoes, olives, cucumbers, onions, green pepper,feta cheese,
olive oil and oregano.
Main Dishes~
1. Moussaka: Made of potatoes, topped with eggplants, onions, minced beef and bechamel sauce.
2. Pastitsio: Consists of spaggeti #2, topped with minced beef, onions, tomatoes and bechamel sauce.
Soups~
1. Fassolada: White bean soup
2. Patsa: Tripe Soup
What is Pastitsio?
Pastitsio is a baked pasta dish enjoyed in Greece and
Throughout the Mediterranean and Middle East.
Pastitsio is the Greek version of Comfort Food~
This dish is versatile and many different versions exist.
The typical Greek version consists of a thick, tube-like pasta
Such as bucatini or penne or any other type of a short, thick, tube-shaped pasta.
The pasta is baked with two sauces;
a red meat sauce made with tomatoes and spices and
a creamy white sauce, like a bechamel sauce
Ingredients are layered together in a baking dish and
baked in the oven.
The word "pastitsio" is a Greek variation on the Italian word "pasticcio"
Meaning a hodgepodge of different ingredients baked together in a single dish.
Even within Greece, many versions of pastitsio exist.
Some recipes include ground lamb in the red/meat sauce
While some use ground beef.
Cinnamon, allspice and/or nutmeg are
Commonly added to the meat sauce.
The white sauce used to top the pastitsio
Is often a bechamel sauce or white sauce made
With milk and a light colored roux.
Some recipes call for a mornay sauce
A variation on bechamel sauce
That includes grated cheese.
Greek Pastitsio~
Greek immigrants brought the recipe for this layered
lamb-and-pasta casserole with them from the old country.
Serve with a green salad and a loaf of rustic bread.
- Pasta~
- 6 oz bucatini pasta
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup feta cheese, cubed
- 1/4 cup milk
- For the Red/Meat sauce~
- 12 oz lean ground lamb
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 1 3/4 cups chopped tomatoes or
- 1 can (14 1/2 oz) tomatoes,
- undrained and cut-up
- 1 t dried oregano leaves
- 1/4 t nutmeg
- 1/8 t each salt and pepper
- 2/3 cup Parmesan cheese
- For the White Sauce~
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 2 T flour
- 1/4 t each salt and pepper
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Preheat oven to 350°
- Cook the pasta according to package directions
- Drain, rinse and drain again;
- Transfer to a warm bowl
- Separate the eggs
- In a small bowl,
- Lightly beat the yolks
- Set aside for the sauce
- Stir the egg whites, feta cheese and the
- 1/4 cup milk into the pasta
- Set aside
- Meanwhile, prepare the red/meat sauce
- Cook the lamb and onion over medium high heat
- Until meat is browned
- Drain off fat
- Stir in the tomatoes, oregano, nutmeg,
- 1/8 t salt and 1/8 t black pepper
- Bring to a boil
- Lower the heat and simmer,
- covered for 5 minutes
- Remove from the heat
- Stir in the 2/3 cup Parmesan cheese
- Layer half of the pasta mixture
- in a lightly greased 8 x 8 x 2 baking dish
- Top with red/meat sauce
- Then with the remaining pasta mixture
- To prepare the sauce,
- In a medium size saucepan
- Whisk together the 1 1/2 cups milk
- the flour, the 1/4 t salt and 1/4 t pepper
- Cook over moderate heat
- Whisking constantly for 8 minutes
- Or until mixture is thickened and bubbly
- Slowly stir about 1 cup of the hot mixture into
- The lightly beaten egg yolks, then return this
Mixture to the saucepan
Cook stirring constantly, for 3 minutes
Or until mixture thickens.
(Do not boil)
Stir in the 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Pour the sauce over the pasta layer
Bake for 30-35 minutes or
Until heated through
Let stand 10 minutes before serving