Pastitsio (Greek Lasagna)

I assemble it the day before and bake it the next day. Delicious!

Ingredients

• PASTITSIO
• 2 sticks butter
• 1 1/2 pounds hamburger
• 1 onion, chopped fine
• Dash salt and pepper
• 1 can tomatoes
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2-1 teaspoon cinnamon (to taste)
• 1 pound macaroni (long, tubular)*
• 3 cups grated Romano cheese
• 3/4 cup flour
• 3 1/2 cups whole milk
• 5 eggs

Directions

In a hot pan melt 1 stick of butter, add hamburger,chopped onion, salt and pepper. Add tomatoes and tomato sauce, bay leaf and cinnamon and cook over medium flame for about 35 minutes.
Cook macaroni in boiling water, strain and put back in pot to keep warm. (*If long Greek macaroni is unavailable, you can use elbow or ziti macaroni.)

Put grated cheese in 11 by 14-inch pan and alternate with macaroni. Spread on the meat sauce.

Mix the final layer, the Pastitsio Crema by mixing 1 stick of melted, cooled butter and 3/4 cup of flour. Heat 3 1/2 cups of milk and pour a little over flour and butter mixture then pour the rest of the mixture into the milk. Add 5 beaten eggs and stir thoroughly over medium flame until mixture thickens. Pour the crema on top of the meat sauce and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for hour or until brown. Cool for 1 hour before cutting.

Serves about 8-10

Submitted 6/13/05.
Source: Courtesy of S. Koutouzis
Submitted By: Linda Stack
lstack@luc.edu
Pastitsio (Greek Lasagna)