#25 Pastisto

I won't lie to you, this is not a "Quick, I need something on the table in half an hour" kind of meal. Well, not unless you cook it the day before. This is more of a leisurely weekend kind of meal, but it is one of my favourites. It all started when I was a teenager and the Australian Women's Weekly had a recipe for Greek Spaghetti: pasta topped with a bolognaise and then a bechamel cheese sauce. My mum cooked it regularly and we delighted in her exotic fare!!

I later discovered it was a pale copy of the Greek Pastisto, so here is my cobbled together version.

Pastisto serves 8-10 Pastisto
Pasta
  • 300g short macaroni-like pasta
  • 1 egg and two egg whites* (see yolks in the sauce!!!)
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Meat Sauce
  • 2 tbspn olive oil
  • 1 kg lamb mince
  • 2 onions, diced
  • 3 tbspn tomato paste
  • 1 tbspn brown sugar
  • salt and pepper
  • 100ml passata or diced tomatoes
  • 1/4 tspn cinnamon
  • 1/2 tspn nutmeg
  • 3/4 cup white wine or chicken stock
Cheese Bechamel Sauce and Topping
  • 100g butter
  • 1/2 cup Plain Flour
  • 1 litre milk
  • 125g grated tasty cheese
  • 1/4 tspn nutmeg
  • 3 egg yolks*
  • grated Parmesan cheese

  1. Grease a 4 litre casserole dish, mine is rectangular. Cook the pasta according to the directions on the packet. Drain and then add the egg and egg whites and the Parmesan cheese. Cover the base of the dish evenly with the pasta. Set aside.
  2. Cook the mince, making sure you break it up well so there are no lumps. Add the onion and cook till browned, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook for a further minute or two. Then add the remaining ingredients. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 20 minutes or until the sauce is thickened. Spoon this over the pasta to create a second layer.
  3. For the cheese sauce, melt the butter over a low heat, add the flour and cook over a medium heat till it boils. Cook out for 1-2 minutes, stirring well. Then remove from the heat and gradually whisk in the milk a little at a time. I find that heating the milk makes it easier. When the mixture is smooth, put back on a low-medium heat and stir till it boils and thickens. Take off the heat and pour a few tablespoons of the sauce over the egg yolks and whisk furiously. Then gradually pour back into the sauce, along with the grated tasty cheese and nutmeg. Stir till smooth then spoon over the meat layer. Finish with another generous grating of Parmesan cheese.
  4. Bake in a 180*C oven for about an hour. It will be golden brown on top. Leave to rest for 15 minutes and then serve.

This freezes very well and it good hot, or cold with a salad. The cold Pastisto cuts into beautiful slices where you can see all the layers!!!This recipe works well if you cook the pasta, and then the meat sauce and while that is simmering away, you make the cheese Bechamel sauce. A very efficient use of your time!!!