GREEK PASTITSIO

Greek Pastitsio image

This Greek casserole is traditionally pasta baked in a flavorful meat sauce and topped with another sauce, such as béchamel. But we decided to skip the extra layer of sauce and cover ours with layers of buttery, flaky phyllo dough instead. The phyllo adds a nice crunch to this delicious dish, making a truly scrumptious, savory pie. Don't pull out your best dinnerware for this one. It's so tasty, you'll want to throw your plate and yell "Opa"! Note that the cheeses won't really melt. They will soften and become nice and creamy, but it won't be gooey like a Cheddar or American cheese.

Yield makes 8 to 10 servings

Number Of Ingredients 20

Ingredients

1 (16-ounce) package dried macaroni
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
2 cups whole milk
6 large eggs, beaten
8 ounces mizithra cheese, shredded, or romano cheese, grated (2 cups)
8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (2 cups)
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (3 ounces)
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/2 cup beef broth (see page 201)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon sugar
10 sheets frozen phyllo pastry, thawed

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Cook the macaroni according to the package directions and drain well. Return the cooked macaroni to the pot and add 1 cup of the melted butter, the milk, eggs, mizithra, feta, and Parmesan cheeses, nutmeg, and white pepper. Stir until well combined. Pour the macaroni mixture into a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring until browned thoroughly, about 10 minutes. Drain well and set meat aside. Return the skillet to medium-high heat and add the oil, onion, and garlic. Sauté until soft, about 8 minutes. Return the meat to the pan and add the tomato paste, red wine, beef broth, parsley, sugar, and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes. Pour over the macaroni mixture. Place one sheet of the phyllo on top of the macaroni. Using a pastry brush and the remaining 1/2 cup of melted butter, lightly coat the phyllo with butter. Working quickly, add another sheet of phyllo and brush it with butter. Repeat the layers until you have used all 10 sheets of phyllo. (You may need to overlap the phyllo sheets to entirely cover the pasta.) Cut two or three vents in the top of the pastry.
Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and the eggs and cheese are set. Cool the casserole slightly before cutting into squares and serving.
Though working with phyllo dough takes a little extra work, Crystal is always thrilled with the results we get. So light and flaky, it makes a tasty topping for many casseroles and pastry dishes. We always work with frozen sheets of phyllo (it's inexpensive and awesome) and find that it is easiest to use when thawed in the refrigerator overnight.
Here are a few of Crystal's tips for working with this delicate dough. Have a few things on hand when you start to layer the sheets: a pastry brush, a small bowl of melted butter, damp paper towels, and parchment paper. To get started, remove the pastry sheets from the package and unfold them onto parchment paper. Cover the dough with damp paper towels to keep the pastry moist. (Phyllo dries out quickly, so it's important to keep the dough covered.) Work with one sheet at a time, keeping the rest covered.
You can store the sheets in the refrigerator for up to three days, wrapped well in foil, but do not try to refreeze any sheets that have been thawed. Unused packages can be stored in the freezer for up to a couple of months.