The Greek Pastitsio - Pasta and minced beef in layers, topped with a Béchamel sauce | Fresh Piato

ground beef

🥗Healthier: ground turkey

💰Cheaper: ground pork

Ground turkey offers lower fat content while ground pork is often less expensive.

cheese

🥗Healthier: nutritional yeast

💰Cheaper: processed cheese

Nutritional yeast is a dairy-free alternative, while processed cheese can be more budget-friendly.

Heat 4 Tbsp of olive oil in a skillet.

Add 2 finely chopped onions and sauté until translucent.

Add 1.200 kg of minced beef and cook while stirring until it loses all its juices.

Add 1 green bell pepper and 1 red pepper cut into small cubes, 2 grated fresh tomatoes, 70g of tomato paste, and 500g of concentrated tomato juice.

Season with salt to taste and 1 tsp of honey (optional), then simmer for 10 minutes.

In a separate saucepot, melt 200g of unsalted butter over high heat.

Add 200g of flour mixed with 2 Tbsp of cornstarch and stir over medium heat until incorporated.

Gradually pour in 1L and 800 ml of milk, stirring until it thickens and you see whipping lines on the surface.

Add 1/3 tsp of grated nutmeg, 1/3 tsp of cinnamon, and a pinch of salt.

Remove from heat and stir in 4 egg yolks.

Cook Bucatini no2 pasta or Barilla no9 in boiling water with 2 pinches of salt for half the time indicated on the package.

After draining, add 1 Tbsp of butter and 1 Tbsp of olive oil to the pasta and stir.

Layer the cold meat filling on top of the pasta and sprinkle with 80g of grated cheese.

Sprinkle a little more grated cheese on top.

Bake at 180C (350F) for 45 minutes uncovered, then check with a knife to see if it's ready.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

Let cool for 1 hour before cutting.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens