Pastitsio Casserole Recipe

3      Reviews by:    Shelly Jackson   Pastitsio Casserole Recipe uses ground beef, onion, garlic, oregano, paprika, red pepper flakes, cinnamon, mint, red wine, tomato paste, noodles and Bechamel sauce in creating this very tasty Greek dish. Food Category:    Ground Meat Cuisine Origin:    Greek    Servings:8 Nutrition facts:530 calories31.4 grams fat Print Preview Rate This Recipe Prep Time:   25 Minutes Cook Time:   50 Minutes Total Time:   1 Hour 15 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup plus 1 Tbl. water
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 3/4 Tbl. Salt
• 1/2 lb. 90% ground beef
• 1 Tbl. vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, grated
• 1 tsp. each oregano, paprika and mint flakes
• 1/8 tsp. each red pepper flakes and ground black pepper
• 1 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 8 ounces ziti noodles
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 1/3 cup tomato paste
• 2 Tbl. each butter and all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. ground pepper
• 1/4 tsp. fresh grated nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. fresh grated nutmeg
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• 4 cups whole milk
• 4 ounces Kessari cheese, grated (See Note)
• 1 egg, beaten

DIRECTIONS

• In a bowl mix 1 Tbl water, baking soda and salt; mix well. Add meat and breakup to coat with solution; set aside. Add oil to sauce pan over medium heat and heat until oil just shimmers. Add onion to pan and cook until soft; 3 minutes. Combine oregano through mint flakes and mix well. Add garlic to mixture. Add to onion and stir well.
• Add wine and cook until mixture is thick; about 1 minute. Add tomato paste and mix well. Add meat and mix well. Add 1/2 cup water and mix well.
• For Bechamel Sauce melt the butter in a sauce pan over medium heat. Combine flour, salt, nutmeg, black pepper, garlic, mix well and add to butter; cook 1 minute. Add milk and whisk well to remove any lumps. Bring to simmer. Add noodles and bring back to simmer, stirring to ensure pasta does not stick. Turn off heat, cover and let sit for 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• (Note: if Kessari is not available, use 2 parts provolone to 1 part percorino.) Spray 8-inch baking dish with vegetable spray. Transfer pasta to baking dish, leaving Bechamel Sauce behind. Sprinkle 1/3 cup cheese over pasta and toss to melt cheese. Dollop and spread meat sauce over pasta. Whisk 1/3 of cheese into Bechamel and stir to melt. Add egg to Bechamel Sauce and stir well. Pour Bechamel Sauce over meat mixture. Sprinkle remaining cheese to cover. Place on baking sheet and place on middle rack of oven. Bake 40 - 50 minutes until top is brown. Let cool 20 minutes before serving.

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