This dish first came to my attention on the menu of a Mom and Pop Greek resto in London, Ontario. And I hadn’t even thought about it again until now. It may not be well known outside Greek cultural circles… But Pastitsio DOES deserve a wider audience!
Do you think of Greek food as exotic stuff such as fried Halloumi? Moussaka? Souvlaki? Spanakopeta? All served with tangy, creamy Tzatziki Sauce on the side?
Move Over. Greeks have simple, everyday meals in their cookbook, too! And today’s recipe is one of them.
Somewhere in between
Pastitsio is one of those universal combinations of ingredients, that every culture’s traditional cuisine treats in its own, signature way.
“The Italians have their beloved lasagne, Americans their ever-popular mac ‘n’ cheese – and the Greeks have pastitsio,” the description beneath the glam photo in the MSN slideshow post begins. And pastitsio falls somewhere in between. To look at, that’s immediately obvious. So much so that most Greek cooks simply call it Greek Lasagne. The structural similarlty is unmistakable.
The ingredients
But what goes into Pastitsio is quite different – in the details.
The flavour profile relies almost entirely on Garlic, Cinnamon and Cloves. These savoury flavours are super together, with ground beef scramble!
There are also tomatoes. Red onions and a glass of Red Wine are both authentic and essential.
And the dish is topped off with a luscious layer of classic béchamel sauce which, in turn, is topped with cheese.
The pasta
One ‘macro’ ingredient we haven’t met before is Buccatini pasta. It’s a long pasta, like Spaghetti or Fettucini. But it’s tubular, like elbow macaroni or Penne. The hollow crossection is essential for the dish to come out right. Though the author admits you can use elbows or Penne if you like. It just doesn’t look as beautiful when it’s cut!
Wait a minute…
Didn’t we just cover something similar a day or two ago? Johnny Marzetti from Central Ohio? Noodles, tomatoes, ground beef and cheese?
Yes, and no! I’ve posted these two dishes in close proximity to each other to demonstrate how this universal combo of basic ingredients can be adapted to an almost infinite variety of distinct and delicious forms…
The Béchamel
… Is a classic Greek version, with egg yolks, cheese and nutmeg. Which is not to say I don’t put nutmeg in my go-to Béchamel! I consider it a necessity. And I’m neither Greek nor French!
Nevertheless…
Detailed instructions
Recipe contributor Eli Giannopoulos proudly shares, “An authentic Greek Lasagna recipe to recreate this traditional delight just like my grandma used to make it.”
And that entails a very long and detailed list of instructions. Recipe instructions which reveal the whys and wherefores as well as the techniques involved are always welcome in my kitchen. Do absorb the details. Knowledge is golden…
My take
It’s clear Giannopoulos loves her Greek Lasagna as much as she loves her Grandma!
I respect that when I make the dish, and I never leave out any ingredients or skip any of her cherished details!
~ Maggie J.