Makaronia Tou Fournou/ Pastitstio
- (Traditional Oven Cooked Pasta with minced meat and Bechamel Sauce)
Ingredients
500g packet long thick tubular pasta (size A)
500g minced meat (pork or beef)
2 -4 tbsp olive oil or cooking oil (if you are calorie conscious use less oil)
1 small onion finely chopped (optional)
Fresh parsley chopped, to taste (try 1- 2 heaped tbsp)
Dried mint flakes, to taste (try 1 heaped tbsp)
1½ cups of grated Halloumi cheese, if not available other cheese can be used, hard if possible.
1 – 2 tbsp dried breadcrumbs (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
Bechamel Sauce
8 tbsp butter
8 round tbsp flour
4 cups warm milk
3 eggs yolks, beaten
3 – 4 tbsp Halloumi or other cheese grated
Method
Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the minced meat, salt, pepper and dried mint. Lightly fry till golden and then add onion and parsley. You can add a little Halloumi to the meat mixture, if you wish. Remove from the heat and leave to one side.
Fill a large saucepan with water; add a little salt and a drop of oil to the water. When boiled add the paste and when pasta is al-dente, before it is fully cooked drain and dip in cold water. Drain and leave to one side.
Separate the egg whites from the yolks and put the egg yolks to one side. Beat the egg whites and stir them into the pasta.
Grease a medium oven dish 27cm, round or square, a Pyrex will do.
Sprinkle base with dried breadcrumbs (optional) and a few tablespoons of the cheese.
Place half the pasta in the greased ovenproof dish and sprinkle with half the cheese. Cover with the mince meat and top with the remaining pasta. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
To Prepare the Sauce:
Melt the butter in a small saucepan and add the flour little by little. Stir with a wooden spoon adding the milk little by little and stir till thick and smooth.
Remove from the heat and add salt, pepper and beaten egg yolks
Add the cheese
Cover the pasta with the béchamel sauce and cook in a moderate oven till golden brown.
Great served with village salad.
