Pastichio

This traditional Greek dish is full of flavour, and very simple to make. If you want it to be even simpler, you can use White Sauce instead of creating your own sauce.

To Serve 4
200g Pastichio Noodles
1lb Minced Beef or Minced Pork
1 medium Onion
½ Stick of Butter
1/3 Cup of Flour
1 Tube of Tomato Puree
3 cups of Milk
3 Eggs
1 Cup Grated Cheese
1 tbsp Cinnamon
Salt And Pepper

1.       Brown the Meat off in a pan, and finely chop the Onion, adding to the pan and cook off until the fat evaporates.

2.       Add the Tomato Paste along with a cup of water. Add the Salt, Pepper and Cinnamon to the pan, cover and simmer on a low heat for fifteen minutes. Boil the Noodles and set them aside.

3.       In a separate pan, melt the butter and slowly add in the flour until it makes a thick mixture. Add the Milk until it boils – it should take around five minutes, stirring all the time.

4.       Beat the Eggs in a bowl, and slowly add the Butter, Flour and Milk into the Eggs, stirring all the time to prevent any lumps forming. Return to the saucepan, and stir constantly over a medium heat for one or two minutes. Add the Grated Cheese and stir in.

5.       Spread half of the Noodles over the bottom of a casserole dish, and cover with half of the sauce. Cover with the Meat, and then cover with some more of the sauce. Lay the rest of the noodles over the top, and cover with the remainder of the sauce.

6.       Bake at 180C for forty to forty five minutes.

Serve this dish either on its own, or serve with seasonal vegetables.

Photo Courtesy of: pink_fish13