greek dish

Recipe video above. Greece&#039;s answer to Italian Lasagna! This traditional Greek dish is made with layers of pasta topped with a rich meat sauce perfumed with a hint of cinnamon and clove, topped with a thick layer of cheese sauce.For the neat layers pictured, arrange the pasta so they&#039;re all going in one direction, and rest the baked Pastitsio for 15 minutes before slicing. Excellent for making ahead (keeps for 4 to 5 days in the fridge) and freezes very well!

Pastitsio (Greek Pasta Bake)

olive oil

garlic (, finely minced)

red onions (, finely chopped (sub yellow or brown onions))

beef

red wine (, dry (Note 1))

/ 28 oz canned crushed tomato

beef bouillon cubes (, crumbled (stock cubes))

tomato paste

tsp white sugar

bay leaf

cinnamon powder

cinnamon

cloves

salt

tsp black pepper

/ 7 tbsp butter (, unsalted)

flour (, plain/all purpose)

milk

tsp nutmeg (, preferably freshly grated)

tsp salt

/ 3 oz Kefalotyri Greek cheese (sub Parmesan

egg ((egg

/ 4 oz feta (, crumbled)

Heat in a large pot over high heat. Add garlic and onion, cook for 2 - 3 minutes until onion is softened. Add beef and cook, breaking it up as you go, until it changes from red to brown.

Add wine and and cook until the wine has mostly evaporated - about 3 minutes.

Add remaining Meat Sauce ingredients. Stir well, bring to simmer, then reduce heat to medium / medium low so it&#039;s simmering gently. Cook for 45 min to 1 hour until liquid is mostly gone, stirring every now and then. It should be a thick mixture with little liquid, not saucy like Spaghetti Bolognese (Note 4).

Remove from stove and cool. Preferably to room temperature, otherwise for at least 30 minutes before assembling (lid off).

Meat Sauce:

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and stir for 1 minute.

While stirring, slowly pour half the milk in. It should turn into a wet paste. Then again, while stirring, pour in remaining milk - the paste should easily dissolve so it&#039;s lump-free. If not, just whisk vigorously.

Cook, stirring so the base doesn&#039;t catch, for 5 minutes or until thick enough so it coats the back of a wooden spoon thickly and you can draw a path across it with your finger.

Remove from stove. Stir in nutmeg, cheese and salt.

Leave to cool for 5 minutes. Then whisk in egg yolks quickly. Place lid on and set aside. If sauce cools and gets too thick to pour, just reheat on a low stove until pourable.

Greek Béchamel (Note 5):

When you&#039;re ready to assemble, cook the pasta per packet instructions, minus 1 minute.

Drain, then return to the pot. Leave to cool for 3 minutes, then stir through egg whites. Gently stir through crumbled feta.

Pasta (Note 6):

Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (all oven types).

Place pasta in a baking dish (33 x 22 x 7 cm / 9 x 13 x 2.75&quot;), arranging them so they are all going in the same direction as best you can (for visual effect when sliced). Make the surface as level as you can.

Top with Meat Sauce, then smooth the surface.

Pour over Béchamel Sauce, then sprinkle over the cheese.

Bake 30 min or until crust turns golden.

Cool for at least 10 minutes so you can cut neat slices with tdhe layers neatly visible. Serve!

Assemble and bake:

Also known as Greek Lasagna, this Pastitsio is everything comfort food should be. The perfect dish for a large crowd that will please even the pickiest of eaters. Layers of pasta, a delicious and aromatic meat sauce, topped with a special bechamel sauce, is what this Greek Lasagna is all about.

Pastitsio (Greek Lasagna)

onion

garlic (minced)

red wine

bay leaves

oregano

allspice

salt and pepper (to taste)

tomatoes

water

sugar

butter (unsalted (8 tablespoons))

all-purpose flour

milk (2%)

nutmeg

Kefalotyri Greek cheese (or Parmesan, grated)

eggs

egg egg

Pastitsio pasta (or bucatini)

Kefalotyri Greek cheese

Brown the meat:

Brown the meat: Add the olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, breaking it up as you cook, until the meat is well browned.

Cook onion and garlic:

Cook onion and garlic: Add the onion, stir and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the onion is soft and translucent. Stir in the garlic.

Deglaze and add remaining ingredients:

Deglaze and add remaining ingredients: Deglaze the pan with the red wine, then add the bay leaves, oregano, cloves, cinnamon, allspice, salt, pepper, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, water and sugar. Stir everything together well and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered for about 45 minutes or until the sauce has thickened, stirring occasionally. Remove the bay leaves and cinnamon stick and discard.

Meat Sauce

Cook the pasta:

Cook the pasta: Before starting the Béchamel sauce, cook the pasta as per package instructions until al dente. Drain and let cool.

Make the bechamel:

Make the bechamel: In a large saucepan melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk in the flour. Keep whisking for about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the milk, nutmeg, salt and pepper, then whisk everything together. Cook for another 5 minutes and whisk as necessary. Remove from heat and stir in the ¾ cup of Kefalotyri cheese.

Combine with the egg mixture

Combine with the egg mixture: In a medium size bowl whisk together the 2 eggs with the 2 egg yolks. Add a ladle of Béchamel sauce into the eggs and whisk briskly to avoid curdling the eggs. Add another ladle of sauce and whisk. Gradually add the egg mixture into the Béchamel sauce while stirring briskly.

Bechamel Sauce

Preheat oven:

Preheat oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Grease the pan:

Grease the pan: Grease a 9x13-inch pan that&#39;s 3 inches deep with some olive oil. It&#39;s very important that the dish is 3 inches deep, otherwise not everything will fit.

Prepare the pasta:

Prepare the pasta: Toss the cooked pasta with ½ cup of the meat sauce. Whisk the 2 egg white and toss it together along with ½ cup of Kefalotyri cheese. Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared pan. You can arrange the pasta so that&#39;s they all go in the same direction.

Top with remaining meat sauce:

Top with remaining meat sauce: Top the pasta with the rest of the meat sauce and smooth out the surface.

Finish with bechamel and cheese:

Finish with bechamel and cheese: Pour the Béchamel sauce over the meat sauce and smooth it out. Top with remaining Kefalotyri cheese.

Bake:

Bake: Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 45 to 50 minutes until the top is golden brown and set.

Let rest and serve:

Let rest and serve: Let the pastitsio rest for at least 30 minutes before cutting into slices and serving.

Assembly

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/XvKDxBwI.mp4

Pastitsio

Delicious meatballs in a rich tomatoe sauce, originally from Smyrna ( now Izmir) in Turkey, hence the inclusion of Cumin.

I don&#x27;t worry too much about measurements with this recipe. Add or leave extra herbs and spices enjoy with chips/fries, flatbread or John&#x27;s favourite, Risoni pasta.

Soutzoukakia (Greek Meatballs)

kilo ground mince

stale bread

garlic

Cumin

chopped parsley

salt and pepper

large finely chopped onion

tsp sugar

tsp Cumin

Soak bread ( without crusts) in milk for...

Soak bread ( without crusts) in milk for around 10 minutes

Mix together the mince, herbs, spices, bread, and...

Mix together the mince, herbs, spices, bread, and eggs

Shape the mixture into oblong meatballs and fry...

Shape the mixture into oblong meatballs and fry gently in oil until golden brown

For the sauce, mix saute the onion and...

For the sauce, mix saute the onion and garlic in oil

Add the tomatoes, sugar, tomato paste, more cumin...

Add the tomatoes, sugar, tomato paste, more cumin and salt and pepper In a saucepan

Add the wine and gently simmer for around...

Add the wine and gently simmer for around 20 minutes until it has thickened somewhat

Add the sauce to the pan of cooked...

Add the sauce to the pan of cooked meatballs

This recipe is all you need to make the best fall-apart tender lamb kleftiko! This traditional Greek lamb roast is easy to make and perfect for a small crowd.

Kleftiko Recipe (Greek Lamb Cooked in Parchment)

leg of lamb, (about 3 ½ pounds, trimmed of excess fat)

oregano, (divided)

thyme, (divided)

parsley, (divided)

Kosher salt and black pepper

Dijon mustard

garlic cloves, (minced)

lemon

red wine vinegar

white wine

Extra virgin olive oil, (I used Greek Private Reserve EVOO)

sweet bell peppers, (cored and

tomatoes,

onion,

broth

feta cheese, (cut into blocks, optional)

Season and marinate the lamb. Place the boneless leg of lamb in a large bowl. Using a sharp knife, make a few slits in the boneless leg of lamb. Rub the lamb all over with 2 tablespoons dried oregano and ½ tablespoon each dried thyme and dried parsley. Season well with kosher salt and black pepper on all sides. Then rub with the mustard and the majority of the garlic (reserving 1 tablespoon of the garlic for the vegetables). It’s important to push some of the garlic and seasoning into the slits you’ve cut earlier for best flavor. Transfer the lamb to a large bowl and add the lemon juice and white wine and about ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil, turning the lamb in the bowl to make sure it is well coated. Set the lamb aside for a few minutes while working on the vegetables. (But if you do have the time, cover the bowl and refrigerate for a couple hours or up to one night).

Preheat the oven to 375°F. And position a rack in the middle.

Prepare the roasting pan and parchment paper. Line a large roasting pan with two very large pieces of parchment paper, making a cross shape so that you have long pieces of parchment overhang on all sides of the pan (I like to have about 8 inches of parchment overhang on all sides of the pan).

Assemble the vegetables and lamb in the pan. Spread the potatoes, bell peppers, tomatoes, and onions in the bottom of the pan over the parchment. Season with a good pinch of kosher salt and black pepper and the remainder of the dried oregano, thyme, and parsley. Sprinkle the remainder of the garlic on top and drizzle with a little olive oil. Add the lamb on top of the vegetables and pour the broth in from the side of the pan.

Fold the parchment to cover the lamb and vegetables. Pull parchment paper sides together and tightly crimp them up to fully encase the lamb and vegetables in the parchment parcel.

Roast. Place the roasting pan on the center rack of your heated oven and cook for about 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours or until the meat is tender and falls apart easily at the touch of your fork (you can check partway through and add more broth or water, if needed).

Brown. Uncover the meat and veggies and fold excess parchment paper into the inside of the pan. If using, add the feta cheese at this point. Raise the heat to 425°F and return the pan to the oven (uncovered) for a few more minutes until the lamb and vegetables gain some color (about 15 to 20 minutes)  to 425°F to allow the meat and veggies to brown).

Let rest. Once ready, allow the lamb kleftiko to sit for about 20 to 30 minutes before serving.

Serve. Pull the meat apart using two forks to shred. Serve the lamb in bowls over the vegetables!

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/6R31GJCR.mp4

Slow roasted lamb with potatoes and other veggies!

Kleftiko (Greek Lamb in Parchment)

Saganaki is a beloved Greek appetizer that’s easy to make at home. Simply fry cheese until it’s golden brown and melted and serve with a squeeze of lemon. If you’re feeling festive, treat your guests to a (totally optional) tableside flambé.

Greek Cheese Saganaki

(8 ounce) block semi-hard cheese

All purpose flour, (for coating)

black pepper

extra virgin olive oil

lemon,

brandy

Prepare the cheese. Use a sharp knife to slice the cheese into two 1/2-inch-thick slices.  Rinse each slice with room temperature water, then pat them dry slightly. (This will help the flour adhere to the cheese.)

Coat the cheese in flour. Spread flour onto a rimmed plate and season with black pepper. Dredge the two pieces of cheese in the flour, coating all over.

Fry the cheese. Heat the olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot (but not smoking), carefully arrange the slices side by side in the skillet. Pan-fry the cheese for a couple of minutes, until golden brown on the bottom. Lower the heat slightly so it does not brown too fast. Flip the cheese and sear until the other side is golden brown.

Finish and serve. Squeeze some lemon juice over the cheese and serve at once. Or, to flambé the cheese, pull the pan off the heat. Pour the brandy into the skillet and carefully ignite it. Once the alcohol burns off, squeeze some lemon juice on top and enjoy!

Can't wait to try this! Could I use a low carb flour of some sort?

Great recipe and fantastic instructions.  Wish I could give you six stars. Oompa!!
Now I will be engaging with many more of your recipes.  Many, many thanks.

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Pastitsio (Greek Pasta Bake)

Pastitsio (Greek Lasagna)

Soutzoukakia (Greek Meatballs)

Kleftiko Recipe (Greek Lamb Cooked ...

Greek Cheese Saganaki

Top 5 greek dish recipes from across the web

The most viewed greek dish recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Pastitsio (Greek Pasta Bake)

Pastitsio (Greek Lasagna)

Soutzoukakia (Greek Meatballs)

Kleftiko Recipe (Greek Lamb Cooked ...

Greek Cheese Saganaki

The most viewed greek dish recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine