Canada

Pastitsio: Greece's answer to Italy's Lasagne

 

Historical Footnote: Greece and Italy share strong historical and cultural bonds, so it is no surprise that many traditional dishes in both countries enjoy a common heritage. The Greek term Pastitsio has its roots from the Italian Pasticcio, which refers to a group of baked delights (including baked pasta).

 

It is bone-chillingly cold today, with outdoor temperatures hitting a frigid - 35 degrees Celsius. Curled up in bed and cozy under soft blankets, my eyes were almost closing when I started to hear a faint but clearly audible drum-roll emerging from the pit of my stomach.

 

3pm. Hmm. The rumble has arrived uncharacteristically early today. Cursing the blustery winds and diving deeper into my blankie, I flipped through visions of hot soup, warming porridge, robust stews... and finally settled for a bubbling, crispy yet soft tray of Pastitsio. And why not? - Baked pasta sounds perfect for a wintry evening.

 

There is something very comforting - sensual even - about multiple layers of yielding pasta and full-bodied meat, especially when they come bound one to the other with melty cheese. This is a 2.5 hour dish, so out of bed I tumbled, with a huge sigh of regret lasting all the way to the kitchen...

 

RECIPE

 

For the meat sauce

Bacon strips or pancetta

2 medium-sized onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, smashed

2 sticks celery, finely chopped

regular minced beef (or lamb)

1 cup red wine + 1 cup sherry

3 tbsp tomato purée/paste

1 cinnamon stick

pinch of ground cloves

oregano (or your choice of fresh herb)

2 fresh bay leaves

 

For the pasta

500 g your choice of tubular pasta

parmesan, finely grated

1 tbsp salted butter, melted

 

For the Béchamel sauce

100 g butter

100 g plain flour

3 cups milk

freshly grated nutmeg 

Salt & Pepper

 

PRE-HEAT: 355 Degrees F.

 

The first steps are always the messiest and also the most crucial - the meat sauce. The twin secrets to a smooth and luxuriant meat sauce or ragù is to simmer "low and slow".  

 

Forget what you read about 30 min. meals. It's rubbish. You cannot make ragù in anything less than an hour. If you want to up the ante, use a cast-iron pot. It makes a lot of difference, yielding up a silkier ragù than would a normal pot or pan.

 

Now comes the fat: A good chunk of butter (God forbid, no margarine!) with a good glug of extra virgin olive oil. (I use the ultra light salad-dressing variety). Once reasonably hot, flavor your oil with cut bacon, or better yet, pancetta. Let it brown, then add your onions, garlic, celery and sauté. Next comes the minced meat, broken up with a wooden spatula. Fry for a few minutes.

 

Once almost cooked through, add your next round of flavoring - red wine (I prefer sweet to dry) and sherry, followed by the tomato purée, cinnamon, herbs and spices.

 

Your ragù is now ready to simmer. Turn the heat down and let the various ingredients get to know one another for all of 1 hour (ideally, 2 hours). Here is where the value of a cast-iron pot comes in - there will be much less evaporation, and less reason to keep adding stock.

 

Next comes the pasta. As with any pasta, make sure the water comes to a rolling boil before you add the pasta, then salt heavily. When al dente, drain, run it quickly under the tap to stop the cooking process, and leave to cool while you prepare the Béchamel sauce.

 

For the sauce, melt the butter and add an equal amount of flour. It may lump and take on a doughy texture. The trick is to keep stirring - and I mean, non-stop, while you add the milk in a steady fast drip. Keep the stir going for at least 3-4 mins, then add your seasonings and half the cheese. 

 

Finally comes the assembly. To the pasta, pour a good amount of sauce and give it a whirl. Then in an ovenproof tray, spread a third of your pasta. Ladle in half your ragù, then layer more pasta, and the rest of the ragù. Add the last of the pasta and top it off with a generous portion of cheese mixed with breadcrumbs, and in it goes!

 

Set your timer to 45 mins, at the end of which you'd be rewarded with a tray of piping hot, golden and bubbling Pastitsio. Enjoy!

 

- Mel Heng - 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~