Greek Noodle Casserole Pastitsio Recipes

Steps:

• For the sauce, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large pot. Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes. Add the beef and lamb, and saute over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until it's no longer pink, crumbling it with the back of wooden spoon. Drain off any excess liquid, add the wine, and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the garlic, cinnamon, oregano, thyme, and cayenne, and continue cooking over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 40 to 45 minutes. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• For the bechamel, heat the milk and cream together in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until simmering. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Add the flour and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly for 2 minutes. Pour the warm milk and cream mixture into the butter and flour mixture, whisking constantly. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes, until smooth and thick. Add the nutmeg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Stir in 3/4 cup of Parmesan cheese, 1/2 cup of the tomato and meat sauce, and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Stir in the eggs and yogurt and set aside.
• Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water until al dente. Don't over-cook because the pasta will later be baked. Drain and set aside.
• Add the pasta to the meat and tomato sauce, and pour the mixture into a baking dish. Spread the bechamel evenly to cover the pasta and sprinkle with the remaining 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Bake for 1 hour, until golden brown and bubbly. Set aside for 10 minutes and serve hot.

Steps:

• Prepare the pasta in salted water as indicated in the product descriptions. Drain it well and keep warm.
• In the meanwhile prepare the meat sauce:.
• Fry the onion in the oil until golden.
• Add garlic and meat. Cook for 5-8 Minutes until done.
• Switch off the heat.
• Add all the other ingredients one after the other as indicated in the ingredients list.
• If necessary adjust the salt.
• Mix milk with water in bowl.
• For the bechamel melt margarine and add the flour.
• Reduce heat when the flour changes color and add the milk/water mix at once. Stir it quickly until it thickens. Switch off the heat source.
• Add all the remaining ingredients and adjust the salt.
• Prepare your baking mold with some olive oil.
• Put 2/3 of the pasta on the bottom of the mold (at least a 4 liter casserole!).
• Add the meat sauce, followed by the remaining pasta and top with the bechamel sauce. Don't stir!
• Bake 40 Minutes at 180°C or until the top is golden (heat and timing are basing it on convection oven).

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Cook the macaroni according to the package directions and drain well. Return the cooked macaroni to the pot and add 1 cup of the melted butter, the milk, eggs, mizithra, feta, and Parmesan cheeses, nutmeg, and white pepper. Stir until well combined. Pour the macaroni mixture into a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring until browned thoroughly, about 10 minutes. Drain well and set meat aside. Return the skillet to medium-high heat and add the oil, onion, and garlic. Sauté until soft, about 8 minutes. Return the meat to the pan and add the tomato paste, red wine, beef broth, parsley, sugar, and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes. Pour over the macaroni mixture. Place one sheet of the phyllo on top of the macaroni. Using a pastry brush and the remaining 1/2 cup of melted butter, lightly coat the phyllo with butter. Working quickly, add another sheet of phyllo and brush it with butter. Repeat the layers until you have used all 10 sheets of phyllo. (You may need to overlap the phyllo sheets to entirely cover the pasta.) Cut two or three vents in the top of the pastry.
• Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and the eggs and cheese are set. Cool the casserole slightly before cutting into squares and serving.
• Though working with phyllo dough takes a little extra work, Crystal is always thrilled with the results we get. So light and flaky, it makes a tasty topping for many casseroles and pastry dishes. We always work with frozen sheets of phyllo (it's inexpensive and awesome) and find that it is easiest to use when thawed in the refrigerator overnight.
• Here are a few of Crystal's tips for working with this delicate dough. Have a few things on hand when you start to layer the sheets: a pastry brush, a small bowl of melted butter, damp paper towels, and parchment paper. To get started, remove the pastry sheets from the package and unfold them onto parchment paper. Cover the dough with damp paper towels to keep the pastry moist. (Phyllo dries out quickly, so it's important to keep the dough covered.) Work with one sheet at a time, keeping the rest covered.
• You can store the sheets in the refrigerator for up to three days, wrapped well in foil, but do not try to refreeze any sheets that have been thawed. Unused packages can be stored in the freezer for up to a couple of months.

Steps:

• Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in onion and cook until it begins to soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in the ground beef, and cook until crumbly and no longer pink. Pour in the water and tomato paste. Season with salt, pepper, allspice, nutmeg, and cinnamon; cover, and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, adjust salt to taste, then refrigerate until cold. Once cold, remove any congealed fat, and thoroughly mix with 2 beaten eggs, and set aside.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add macaroni and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain, and rinse under cold water to cool. Mix the macaroni in 2 beaten eggs until well coated.
• Evenly spread half of the macaroni mixture into a 11x14x2 inch baking pan, sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the grated parmesan cheese, and drizzle with 1/2 cup of melted butter. Spread the meat mixture overtop, then finish with the remaining macaroni. Sprinkle the macaroni with another 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese, and drizzle with 1/2 cup of melted butter.
• Whisk together 4 beaten eggs with the half-and-half, 1 cup of Parmesan cheese, flour, and salt; whisk until well blended. Pour the cream mixture evenly over top of the pastitsio, and sprinkle with nutmeg.
• Cover the pan with foil, and bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove the foil, and bake until the top has turned golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven, and allow to stand for 15 minutes before serving.