Pastitsio

Method

1. Heat the olive oil in a wide pan over medium heat and cook the onion for 5 minutes until soft and translucent, then add the garlic for 30 seconds. Turn up to medium-high heat, add the beef and break it up with a wooden spoon; cook until no pink remains and the juices have evaporated, then stir in the tomato paste for 1 minute (10 min in all).

   Add in this stepOlive oil 1 tbspOnion, finely chopped 80 gGarlic cloves, minced 1Minced beef (or half beef, half pork) 200 gTomato paste 1 tbsp

   medium heat→medium-high heat

2. Pour in the wine and let it bubble for 1 minute, scraping the bottom of the pan. Add the passata, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, bay leaf, salt, pepper and water and simmer, half-covered, over medium-low heat for 25 min, stirring now and then, until thick with no watery liquid left. Remove the bay leaf. A runny sauce makes the pastitsio soggy.

   Add in this stepDry red wine 60 mlPassata (sieved tomatoes) 150 gGround cinnamon ½ tspGround cloves 1 pinchGround allspice 1 pinchBay leaf 1Salt ½ tspBlack pepper to tasteWater 60 ml

   medium-low heat

3. Meanwhile, bring the water to a rolling boil with the salt in a 20 cm pot over high heat. Add the pasta and cook for about 9 min, 2 minutes less than the packet says; it finishes cooking in the oven. Drain well.

   Add in this stepWater (for the pasta) 1½ LSalt (for the pasta water) 1½ tspThick tube pasta (pastitsio no. 2, ziti or penne) 120 g

   high heat

4. Return the pasta to the pot off the heat, stir in the butter and let it cool for 2–3 minutes. Separate the eggs: beat the whites lightly with a fork and stir them into the pasta with a third of the cheese. Keep the yolks in a small bowl for the béchamel. The whites bind the pasta so it slices into neat layers.

   Add in this stepButter (for the pasta) 10 gEggs 1Kefalotyri or pecorino, finely grated 18 g

5. For the béchamel, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, add the flour and stir for 2 minutes without letting it colour. Pour in the milk a little at a time, whisking constantly to avoid lumps, and keep whisking for 10 min until it thickly coats the back of a spoon. Off the heat, stir in the nutmeg, salt and another third of the cheese, then quickly whisk in the yolks.

   Add in this stepButter (for the béchamel) 40 gPlain flour 40 gWhole milk 380 mlGround nutmeg 1 pinchSalt (for the béchamel) 1 pinchKefalotyri or pecorino, finely grated 19 g

   medium heat

6. Heat the oven to 180 °C and lightly butter a 20×15 cm baking dish. Spread half the pasta over the base and press it level, then cover with all the meat sauce. Add the rest of the pasta and press gently. Pour the béchamel over the top, spreading it to the edges, and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

   Add in this stepKefalotyri or pecorino, finely grated 18 g

7. Bake in the oven for 40 min, until the top is deep golden with darker spots and the sides are bubbling. Let it rest for 25 min before cutting: hot pastitsio slumps, while rested pastitsio cuts into clean squares that show every layer.

   oven