Pastitsio from Barefoot Contessa: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/pastitsio-recipe/index.html

Like Kokkari's assembly, Ina's mix of lamb and beef. Try kasseri cheesi in place the cheese in the other recipes.

Pastitsio from Dec 26, 2010 Chronicle food section:

Pastitsio
Serves 12

This is served as a Thursday special at Kokkari Estiatorio in San Francisco. The recipe is adapted from one printed in "Kokkari" Contemporary Greek Flavors," by Erik Cosselmon and Janet Fletcher (Chronicle Books). It calls for a 13- by 10- by 2 1/2 -inch baking dish, but a 13- by 9- by 2-inch will work, too - you might have a bit of bechamel that doesn't fit in the pan, which you can save for another use. The bechamel and the meat mixture can be made ahead, and the dish can be assembled and refrigerated several hours before baking; bring it to cool room temperature before baking. Cosselmon recommends serving the dish with tomato sauce alongside.

The bechamel

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 8 cups whole milk, warmed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
  

The meat

• 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 small white onions, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3 pounds ground beef chuck
• 1/2 cup Italian tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried Greek oregano, crumbled
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

• 1 pound macaroni pastitsio No. 2 or No. 3 (can substitute penne or ziti)

The custard sauce

• Bechamel mixture (see above)
• 1 egg
• 2 egg yolks
• 3/4 cup grated kefalotyri, pecorino or Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Sea salt, to taste

Make the bechamel: In a large heavy pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour all at once and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture just begins to darken and smell nutty, about 3 minutes. Add 2 cups of the milk to the pot and whisk until smooth. Add another 2 cups and whisk again until smooth. The mixture will look like creamy mashed potatoes. Whisk in the remaining 4 cups milk and the salt. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and cook for about 20 minutes to eliminate the raw flour taste. Stir frequently with a wooden spoon to prevent the sauce from scorching, and scrape the sides of the pot occasionally with a heatproof rubber spatula. Transfer the sauce to a large bowl and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let cool. Sauce can be covered tightly and refrigerated for up to 2 days.

Prepare the meat and pasta: Preheat the oven to 425°.

In a large skillet over high heat, combine the 1/4 cup olive oil, the onions and garlic. Saute until the onions soften but do not color, about 4 minutes. Add the beef and cook, breaking up clumps with a wooden spoon, until the meat is no longer pink, about 4-5 minutes. Continue cooking until the meat releases its juices, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Drain in a colander set over a bowl. Return the meat to the pan. Let the juices settle for 5 minutes, then skim the surface fat and return the juices to the pan.

Add the tomato paste, honey, bay leaves, oregano, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until all the liquid has been absorbed and the meat is moist but not soupy, about 10 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaves.

Meanwhile, in a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta until al dente, according to package directions. Drain, rinse with cold water, drain again, then coat with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to prevent sticking.

Make the custard sauce: Put the bechamel in a large bowl and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the egg, egg yolks, cheese, nutmeg and salt to taste. Set aside.

Assemble the dish: Mix the pasta with 1 cup of the custard. Spread half the pasta into an even layer on the bottom of a 13- by 10- by 2 1/2-inch baking dish. Top with all the meat, pressing it into an even layer with the back of a wooden spoon. Top with the remaining pasta. Gently spread the remaining custard on top. Place the dish on a baking sheet and bake until the pastitsio is well browned and set, yet still quivery, about 45 minutes. Let cool for at least 45 minutes before cutting into squares.

Per serving: 697 calories, 37 g protein, 45 g carbohydrate, 41 g fat (19 g saturated), 181 mg cholesterol,463 mg sodium, 2 g fiber.

E-mail Amanda Gold at agold@sfchronicle.com.

This article appeared on page J - 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle



Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/12/24/FD4M1GT7M1.DTL&ao=4#ixzz19Oi0H8lg