Quick Pastitsio

Although Ann and I generally save our big splurge meals (high carb deliciousness) for the weekend, after a weekday morning spent snowshoeing, the urge for carbs was undeniable and Ann asked that I move our weekend pastitsio up a few days.

Quick Pastitsio

The impetus for pastitsio was our watching Afrim Pristine's series "Cheese: A Love Story" on TV. Specifically, he filmed a show on Greek cheeses and while in Greece, a chef made his version of pastitsio causing Ann to ask me if I would make a batch. I love pastitsio and more than just saying yes to her request, I bought ground lamb and pasta on my next foray to the grocery store.

Pastitsio is often referred to as Greek lasagne and it has its origins in Italy. Originally a dish wrapped in pastry, hence its name, it has come to be over the last 100 years a simple baked pasta consisting of layers of pasta, sauce, and béchamel.

Ann and I set out to make a very quick version of pastitsio and within twenty minutes, had ours in the oven baking to golden brown on top. We tag-teamed the effort: while she got the pasta water and pans going on the stove, I cut an onion finely and minced a fair amount of garlic. She cooked the onion and then browned the lamb while I chased down the ingredients for the béchamel.

Ann Driving the Stove
L to R: Lamb Ragù, Bechamel, Pasta

Once the meat was browned, we added a small can of tomatoes that we had blitzed into a rough sauce in the can using an immersion blender. And while that and the pasta par-cooked, we made the béchamel, the whole thing taking no more than 20 minutes.

Grating Pecorino Romano on the Pasta and Sauce Mix

Pasta Topped with Layers of Lamb Sauce, Béchamel, and Pecorino

Quick Pastitsio

If there is such a thing as a traditional pastitsio, ours is a touch different. Many people make the sauce with ground beef rather than lamb, but I prefer lamb. That aside, we used the cheese and pasta that we could find locally. Typically this dish would be made with a cut called macaroni #2, a long tubular cut similar to (if not identical to) ziti lunghi. In Greece, the pasta is often arranged prettily in the bottom of the baking dish, but we were on a mission to eat dinner, not make the prettiest dish ever. The cheese would be either the milder kasseri or the more assertive and pecorino-like kefalotyri. We used our handy-dandy block of pecorino romano that always resides in our fridge.

For the pasta:

1 pound or 500 grams of pasta (ziti, ziti lunghi, macaroni #2, perciatelli, etc.)

salt for pasta water

Before starting on the meat sauce, start the pan of salted pasta water and when it comes to a boil, add the pasta and cook until is is nearly done. I cooked the ziti for about 8 minutes, about two to three minutes shy of being al dente. While the pasta water is heating, start on the meat sauce. The meat sauce should be done when the pasta is done.

For the meat sauce:

olive oil

1 small onion, in small dice

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 generous pinch ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 pound ground lamb

1 small can (15 ounce net weight) tomatoes or tomato sauce

Film a sauté pan with olive oil and cook the onion and garlic until the onion is translucent. Add the cinnamon and oregano and stir well. Add the meat and break it apart, cooking until it is browned. If using whole tomatoes, blend them and their juice to make a chunky sauce. Add the tomato sauce to the pan and cook at a simmer until the pasta is done and drained. If the sauce is still fairly liquid, turn up the heat for a couple of minutes to thicken. Season to taste.

While the pasta and sauce are cooking, make the cream sauce.

For the béchamel/mornay:

3 tablespoons of butter

3 tablespoons of flour

2 cups of milk

freshly grated nutmeg, salt, pepper to taste

1/2 cup grated pecorino

In a small pan, heat the butter and whisk in the flour well such that no lumps remain. Cook the mixture for a couple of minutes, then add the milk. Stir as the sauce thickens. Stir in the pecorino and season to taste with a few scrapings of nutmeg and a bit of salt and black pepper.

For the assembly:

baking pan

pan spray

1/2 cup grated pecorino

Heat the oven to moderate, say 350F. Spray a half hotel pan or other small baking dish with pan spray. Mix the cooked pasta with half the meat sauce and stir gently to coat well. Place in the bottom of the baking dish. Spread the remaining meat sauce in a layer over the pasta. Top with the cream sauce and sprinkle on the remaining pecorino. Bake in the oven until nicely browned on the top, about 25 minutes.