This is an absolutely fantastic dish - really, really delicious, and proper comfort food. I only made it for the first time today, and - amazingly - it came out perfectly... I wouldn't change a thing. It's based on a recipe I found online, but personalised (as all good recipes are, of course) based on my own tastes and availability of ingredients. This is incredibly similar to the authentic Greek version I enjoyed while on vacation in the Ionian islands many years ago, though IMHO even nicer
Pastitsio is a layered pasta and meat sauce dish - rather like lasagne. There are three main components - the paster layers, meat layer, and cheesy bechamel topping.
For the pasta:
250g small shape pasta (I used orzo, but macaroni is, I think, more traditional)
1 x large egg, beaten
4 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
Cook the pasta as per instructions on pack. Drain well, then return to the pan and fill with cold water. When the pasta has cooled, drain again and transfer to a bowl, pour over the beaten egg and sprinkle the parmesan on top. Now, with clean hands, gently but thoroughly mix so that all of the pasta is coated with the egg and parmesan. Place a lid or wrap over the bowl and set in the fridge.
For the meat sauce:
400 - 500g ground beef (or half-and-half beef and lamb)
1 x large onion, finely chopped
1 x red bell pepper, chopped small
2 x good-sized cloves of garlic, minced or finely chopped
1 x 400g tin good chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato or red pepper paste (I use Öncü Mild Red Pepper Paste)
1 x vegetable stock cube (I use OXO)
250ml hot water
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 1/2 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp allspice powder
1/2 tsp cinammon powder
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp Olive oil
In a large pan, add the olive oil, onion and bell pepper. Stir to coat, then bring to a medium heat and cook until the vegetables are translucent. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute (you should be able to smell the garlic strongly, but don't want it to burn). Turn off the heat, transfer the vegetables to a bowl and set aside.
Dissolve vegetable stock cube in the hot water and add to the pan. Add the ground beef and use a wooden spoon to break it up and stir into the liquid. It should end up looking like a rather unpleasant pink "mush"! Turn the heat back on, set it to high, and cook the beef until it's no longer pink and most of the liquid has evaporated. The meat should have a fine, grainy texture with no big clumps.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the cooked onion and bell pepper, chopped tomatoes (including the juices), tomato or red pepper paste, red wine vinegar, chilli, allspice and cinammon powders, and salt. Mix thoroughly and bring to a simmer for at least 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. The resulting sauce should be reaosnably thick (if it's watery, turn up the heat and evaporate some of the moisture). Check seasoning and add a little more salt if needed.
Turn off the heat and allow the meat sauce to cool so that it's just warm.
Assembling the dish:
Take a baking dish (the kind you'd use for a lasagne) and spread half of the pasta mix so that it forms a layer at the bottom. Now spoon the meat sauce on top and spread it out into another thick layer, making sure it goes right to the edges. Spread the remaining pasta over the meat sauce. You should have enough to cover it, but don't worry if you don't - just try to spread what you have evenly.
For the white sauce topping:
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp plain white flour
350ml whole milk
1 x large egg, beaten
5 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp black pepper
Pinch of cinammon powder
In a pan, melt the butter and bring it to a gentle bubble over a medium heat. Add the flour and whisk briskly and continuously until a smooth paste is formed. If it's too runny, add a little more flour. Cook for a minute longer then gradually add the milk a little at a time while whisking. At this point the sauce may seem thin, but continue to cook and whisk and it will start to thicken. It should reach the point of being quite thick but still pourable (add a little extra milk if required to reach this consistency). Now remove from heat, and whisk in the parmesan cheese and black pepper. Allow to cool for a minute, then slowly pour in the beaten egg while whisking. Allow to stand for a further minute.
Pour the white sauce into the baking dish, using the back of a spoon to spread it evenly over the pasta, and right up to the edges. Sprinkle a little dusting of cinammon powder over it for visual appeal.
Place dish in the middle of the oven, pre-heated to 180 deg C, for 35 minutes. When finished, allow to stand for 10 minutes, then use a spatula to divide into six equal-sized portions. Each portion is plenty for one person, especially if served with a side of salad, vegetables and/or crusty bread. I served ours with par-boiled green beans...