Ingredients FOR THE PASTA 1 pkg thick pasta for pastitsio 1 tbsp Lurpak butter with olive oil 50 gr Arla hard Danish cheese FOR THE MEAT SAUCE 800 gr ground beef (ground once) 2 tbsp Lurpak butter with olive oil 2 dry onions, finely chopped 1 grated carrot 2 clov. garlic, finely chopped 400 gr crushed tomatoes or fresh chopped tomatoes 1/3 cup cognac 1 cinnamon stick 1 bay leaf salt Freshly ground pepper FOR THE BÉCHAMEL 125 gr Lurpak butter with olive oil 125 gr flour 1,250 lt milk 1/2 onion 4 cloves 1/4 tsp nutmeg salt White pepper 50 gr Arla hard Danish cheese 200 gr Arla fresh cream cheese Equipment Baking tray Pot TAGS MEAT PASTA KIDS' RECIPES MAIN COURSES GREEK SUNDAY LUNCH BÉCHAMEL TRADITIONAL FOODS MOM-MADE FOODS Ingredients FOR THE PASTA 1 pkg thick pasta for pastitsio 1 tbsp Lurpak butter with olive oil 50 gr Arla hard Danish cheese FOR THE MEAT SAUCE 800 gr ground beef (ground once) 2 tbsp Lurpak butter with olive oil 2 dry onions, finely chopped 1 grated carrot 2 clov. garlic, finely chopped 400 gr crushed tomatoes or fresh chopped tomatoes 1/3 cup cognac 1 cinnamon stick 1 bay leaf salt Freshly ground pepper FOR THE BÉCHAMEL 125 gr Lurpak butter with olive oil 125 gr flour 1,250 lt milk 1/2 onion 4 cloves 1/4 tsp nutmeg salt White pepper 50 gr Arla hard Danish cheese 200 gr Arla fresh cream cheese Instructions MEAT SAUCE In a wide pot, heat the butter with the olive oil and sauté the ground beef, spreading it with a spoon. Let it cook well so that it doesn’t release its juices, stirring constantly. This takes about 8 minutes. At the end, after the ground beef is cooked, break it into small pieces with a spoon. Then add the onion, garlic, carrot and sauté for another 2 to 3 minutes, until they become translucent. Deglaze with the cognac. Let the alcohol evaporate for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomato, salt, pepper, bay leaf and cinnamon stick. Let the cinnamon flavor the meat sauce for 5 minutes and then remove it. Cover the meat sauce, lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes (without adding any liquids) until it absorbs all its juices and the flavors are concentrated. When the meat sauce is cooked, add a few spoonfuls of béchamel and stir. BÉCHAMEL Stick the cloves into the onion and place it in a pot with the milk. Over medium heat, let the milk infuse and heat without boiling. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk for 1-2 minutes to cook the flour. Remove the onion from the milk and remove the saucepan with the roux (flour-butter) from the heat. Pour in a little hot milk and whisk well to dissolve the flour. Gradually add the remaining milk, stirring. Return the pot with the béchamel to the heat and let the cream thicken, stirring regularly with the whisk. Add salt and pepper and grate nutmeg. Remove from the heat and add the fresh cream cheese, stirring to incorporate. IN THE BAKING PAN In the meantime, boil the pasta for 6 minutes in salted water. Drain well and return to the pot. Add the butter and stir. Place half of the buttered pasta in a 25x35cm baking pan. Add a few spoonfuls of béchamel. Sprinkle the pasta with some kefalotyri cheese. Pour the meat sauce over the pasta. Add the remaining pasta in a single layer. Pour over the béchamel. Gently shake the pan to even out the surface of the pastitsio. Sprinkle with the remaining kefalotyri cheese. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C on the bottom rack for 45 minutes, until the surface is golden brown and forms a nice crust. Let the baked pastitsio rest for 10 minutes, then cut and serve. Tips Be careful with the heat intensity, as we do not add any water to the meat sauce. Always cook the pasta 2-3 minutes less than the package instructions. Never rinse the cooked pasta under running water. However, it must be drained very well, because it retains water inside the hole and will release it later in the baking pan. After draining the pasta well, add a tablespoon of butter and stir gently to melt with the heat of the pasta. The cheese on the surface of the pastitsio will give the desired golden and cheesy crust and will make it fantastic. When we remove the béchamel from the heat, we can add 2 egg yolks for a richer flavor. TAGS MEAT PASTA KIDS' RECIPES MAIN COURSES GREEK SUNDAY LUNCH BÉCHAMEL TRADITIONAL FOODS MOM-MADE FOODS
