the dish > Recipes

Pastitsio (Meatless)
By Christina Andrianopoulos
preheat oven to 350 Serves: Large 26 X 18 Pan
Serves up to 12 people
Calories Per Serving: 700
Preparation Time: 40-60 minutes
Difficulty: Average

"Pastichio is a Greek dish that resembles a lasagna and can be prepared with meat or not. It is a hearty dish especially for the cool months when "comfort food" is what we all seek. You can also play with the ingredients to use low fat cheese and milk for a calorie conscience version. This item is a great addition to your Thanksgiving and holiday feast as an ethnic contribution to the traditional American meal and when you deliver it to your host add "Kale Orexi" which translates to great appetite elevating you to a true global jet setter! Also, the meatless version serves the "vegetarian" sector of your guest list." If you do make it for the holidays, please share your experience with all of us at Dining Out MetroWest.

Ingredients:
2 lbs of macaroni (ziti)
2 large onions, finely chopped
2 cups of mashed (chopped) tomatoes (seasoned)
1/2 cup of oil (olive oil preferably)
1/2 cup of butter (for the macaroni)
salt, pepper to taste & nutmeg and paprika for top 1/2 cup of water 10 cups of milk
1 cup of butter
1 cup of flour
8 eggs
3 cups of grated cheese
(cheddar, Romano, feta equal parts)
10 cups of milk
Cooking Instructions:
Place in frying pan small amount of oil, saute chopped onion for a few minutes, then add minimum of water (1/2 cup). Cook till water is absorbed, stirring once or twice. Add salt and pepper to taste. Put in the mashed/chopped tomatoes and allow the ingredients to boil on a low heat. Boil water in a big pot for macaroni, add salt and put in the macaroni. When boiled on the hard side, drain and spread half of the macaroni in a baking pan that has a dusting of bread crumbs. Add about 1/2 the onion/tomato saute sauce on top, then sprinkle with about 1/4 of the grated cheese. Carefully layer on the rest of the macaroni, onion/tomato mixture and another 1/4 of the cheese. Pour the half cup of melted butter over this macaroni/cheese mixture.

Separately, prepare the bechamel sauce in a sauce pan in the following way: on a very low flame, melt 1 cup of butter, add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon. Add the milk, stirring continuously to avoid lumps making a creamy mixture. It helps to have the milk warm when stirring it in to prevent lumps. Then add the remainder of the cheese (keeping aside 2 tablespoon) and a little salt. As soon as the sauce thickens, beat the eggs well and slowly add them to the sauce so that they don't cook but mix into the cream sauce.

Pour the sauce over the contents of the baking pan, spreading it evenly and sprinkle it with the 2 tablespoon of cheese that remains. This will make the crust of the sauce crisp. sprinkle nutmeg and paprika as a fine coating for color. Bake in a moderate 350 oven for 40-60 minutes until it has browned. Let sit for an hour before cutting to ensure firm pieces. Cut pieces to taste, small or large.
Serving Suggestions:
1 portion (1 normal slice 3 X 3 inches), Calories: 700

Cooking time 40-60 minutes