Ingredients
- 1/4 pound butter, plus 1/4 pound butter, melted and cooled
- 1 1/2 pounds ground chuck
- 1 onion, chopped fine
- Salt and pepper
- 1 (12-ounces) can tomatoes
- 1 (12-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 pound ziti rigate or penne
- 3 cups grated pecorino Romano
- 3/4 cup flour
- 3 1/2 cups whole milk
- 5 eggs
Directions
In a hot pan melt 4 ounces of butter, add ground chuck, chopped onion, salt, and pepper. Add tomatoes and tomato sauce, bay leaf, and cinnamon and cook over medium flame for about 35 minutes.
Cook macaroni in boiling water, strain and put back in pot to keep warm.
Place a 1/4 of the grated cheese in a 11 by 14-inch pan, and then a layer with 1/3 of the pasta. Continue until both ingredients are used up. Spread on the meat sauce.
Mix the final layer, the Pastitsio Crema by mixing 4 ounces of melted, cooled butter and 3/4 cup of flour. Heat 3 1/2 cups of milk and pour a little over flour and butter mixture then pour the rest of the mixture into the milk. Add 5 beaten eggs and stir thoroughly over medium flame until mixture thickens. Pour the crema on top of the meat sauce and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 1 hour or until brown. Cool for 1 hour before cutting.
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By chrisgus
on June 06, 2012
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I used this as a base recipe...with a twitch here and there. It is a great starter for a novice cook.
By miasmommy21407_...
Elm Mott, 83
on August 21, 2010
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My family decided that we would make Sundays "Cultural Night" and have a recipe from a differnent country each week. We chose Greek food first because none of us had ever had it.
My family LOVED this. My children (ages 3 and 1 DEVOURED it and asked for more.
I was unsure about the cinnamon in the meat sauce because I'd never had it in meat before but decided to follow the recipe EXACTLY. I'm SO GLAD I did. It really gives it a unique and amazing flavor that is unlike anything I've ever heard.
My daughter (age 3 and my husband asked if we could have it every week. I did have to tell them "No" because of the MASSIVE amount of fat in this recipe but I could see it becoming a monthly meal in our house!.
My casserole dish didn't have enough room for all of the cream sauce but the cream layer was still about 3/4 an inch thick and very pleasing!
Awesome recipe!! TRY IT!!!
By vicky855
on March 23, 2010
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I tweaked the recipe a little, but this was WAY better than the ones I've had in Greece.... and better than (shall I dare say... My Greek boyfriend's grandma's pastitsio. I added 1/4 cup of dry red wine, oregano, and thyme to the meat. I also only did half of the measurements for the bechemel sauce (and used 1% milk instead since I don't really prefer it. In Greece, the bechemel sauce on top is like 2 inches thick. I usually just scrap most of that part off. But in this recipe, it was a good amount. I also used less cinnoman since I don't really like the overwhelming taste of it in my meatsauce. I got two thumbs up from my Greek BF and his dad. = That's the best compliment I can ever have.
Read all 9 reviews