Pastitsio that can be served at a Sunday family dinner or social gathering. It is as tasty as ever but with a whole new look that will impress everybody! You can follow the recipe that appears here or the “easy pastitsio”. Whichever recipe you choose your pastitsio “pie” will be a hit!
Ingredients 600 gr macaroni (ziti) no. 2 800 gr minced meat (veal or pork) 300 gr grated cheese 2 cloves of garlic minced 1/3 cup olive oil ½ cup white wine 1 onion chopped 3 cups ripe tomatoes chopped (or grated) (or canned tomatoes) 1 tablespoon tomato paste 1 cinnamon stick 3 – 4 cloves ½ teaspoon allspice 3 tablespoonfuls margarine 2 – 3 large eggs 1 packet filo pastry 1/3 cup olive oil or melted butter for the filo pastry Salt, pepper
Instructions
Bring water to a boil in a large pot and add some salt. Drop the macaroni in the boiling water and cook it until half done, about 4 minutes.After you boil the macaroni or the penne, strain it, put it in a large bowl and add the butter or margarine. Toss the macaroni until the butter melts. Add the grated cheese. Beat lightly 2 – 3 eggs and add them to the macaroni. Mix well.
Put 3 – 4 tablespoonfuls of oil in the pan and brown the minced meat together with the onion, stirring and breaking up the lumps of meat until there is no pink color. Add the wine and allow it to evaporate. Add the tomatoes and tomato paste diluted in a cup of water, the garlic, the cinnamon stick, the cloves, salt and pepper. Simmer to reduce the liquid. Take the pan off the fire and put aside. Remove the cinnamon stick and the cloves.
Take a medium sized round baking pan. Oil it lightly. Start placing the filo pastry sheets so that you cover the bottom and the sides of the pan, lightly oiling each sheet after you place it in the pan. Use 7 – 8 filo pastry sheets.
For the filling, you can do it in three different ways. You can mix the macaroni with the minced meat, and pour it in the prepared pan. Alternatively, you can divide the macaroni in two. Lay half the macaroni in the pan, spread the minced meat on top, and finish off with the rest of the macaroni. Or you can divide the macaroni in three parts. Place the 1/3 in the pan, spread half the minced meat on top then lay the other third of the macaroni on top. Spread the rest of the minced meat on top and finish with the rest of the macaroni on top.
Turn the filo sheets over the macaroni, oiling each one again. Fold another 2 – 3 filo sheets in two and place them on top oiling each one. Tuck the corners inside the pan. Oil the top liberally and spray with a little water.
Bake in a preheated oven at 180 C for about 30 minutes, until the top browns nicely. Take it out of the oven and let it cool for about 15 minutes and then cut into pieces.
Serve with a nice Greek salad or a green salad.
Enjoy!