Serves:  a medium oven tray Preparation time: 40m Cooking time: 40m Ready in: 1h 25m

Ingredients

For pastitsio

500g. thick macaroni

3 tsp. tablespoons olive oil

3 egg yolks

1 tsp. tablespoons of butter

½ cup breadcrumbs

1 1/2 cup cheese, and / or Parmesan, grated

¼ tsp. fresh grated nutmeg

salt

     For the meat sauce

750g. minced beef

1 medium onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 ½ cup tomato juice concentrate

1/3 cup red wine

1/3 cup olive oil

1 cinnamon stick

salt and pepper

   For the sauce

8 tsp. tablespoons butter

8 tsp. flour for all uses

1½ liter of milk, warm

3 egg yolks

½ cup grated cheese

Salt and white pepper

Preparation method

Prepare the meat

step 1

Put the mince  in medium pot over medium heat and with a wooden spoon  “crush” to let the fluids  stand completely. Stir with the mince the onion and garlic, and again stirl and add the olive oil.

step 2

Saute until the mixture begins to stick to the bottom of the pan and finish with the wine. Add the tomato juice, cinnamon, salt and pepper and let the sauce simmer for 30-35 minutes until it thickens.

Prepare spaghetti

step 1

Boil in a saucepan 1 1/2 liter of water and add 1 tsp. teaspoon salt. Put the pasta in the pot and cook for 6-7 minutes. Drain and toss with olive oil until well smeared and dont stick together. Beat the egg whites, add the pasta and stir in well.

Prepare the sauce

step 1

In a medium saucepan melt the butter and add the flour. Stir constantly with a whisk until the flour gets a little color and remove from fire. Keep 2-3 tablespoons of lukewarm milk, to mix with the egg yolks and add the rest to the saucepan, stirring constantly with wire, to prevent clotting.

step 2

Put the pan back on low heat and let simmer, stirring constantly until thickened. Turn off the heat and allow to cool. Mix the egg yolks with 2-3 tablespoons of  the milk that you keep cool and just a little cream, add them. Season to taste and stir well to unite the egg cream. Finally add the grated cheese and stir well.

Prepare pastitsio

step 1

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Butter a medium oven tray and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Lay in the tray half of the pasta, sprinkle with 5-6 tsp. grated cheese and pure all the sauce over the meat. Sprinkle with some cheese again and pure evenly over the remaining macaroni.

step 2

Spread over the spaghetti sauce and sprinkle with nutmeg. Bake the pastitsio for 40-45 minutes, until it gets golden.

Source: Olive magazine

Chef: Georgia Kofina

Photo: Vangelis Paterakis

Food Styling: Antonia Kati