Greek pasticcio: A savoury casserole that captures the essence of Hellas

The Greek casserole recipe I will describe is one of my favourite souvenirs from the land of Hellas. It's better than a refrigerator magnet or a glass ball—and, indeed, more helpful!

Pasticio is a pasta, ground meat, and béchamel sauce casserole found in homes and restaurants in most Mediterranean countries. It's similar to the famous moussaka but is prepared faster and easier because the recipe doesn't call for eggplant and potatoes. Interestingly, the name pasticio (also known as pastitsio) comes from the Latin "pascicium," used metaphorically to refer to a mess. Well, in my opinion, there is something enchanting in this chaos.

When I first tried pasticio, I knew yet another Greek dish had captivated me. Undoubtedly, I would want to make this casserole not once or twice a year but much more often. As I predicted, that's what happened. I found a straightforward, intuitive, and affordable recipe and embarked on my culinary journey. The result? Simply delicious! I highly encourage you to try it.

Ingredients:

• 800 grams of ground meat (originally beef),
• 500 grams raw pasta (tube type),
• 800 grams tomatoes,
• olive oil,
• 2 cloves garlic,
• 2 small onions or 1 large,
• spices: salt, pepper, cinnamon, cumin, oregano, thyme.

Béchamel:

            
• 100 grams (3.5 oz) butter,
• 100 grams (3.5 oz) flour,
• 800 millilitres (3.4 cups) milk,
• 2 eggs,
• block of yellow cheese (about 300 grams, 10.5 oz),
• 100 grams (3.5 oz) feta cheese,
• spices: salt, pepper, nutmeg.

Preparation:

1. Pour olive oil into a frying pan. Sauté the finely chopped onion and crushed garlic. Add the ground meat and spices, and cook on low heat.
2. In the meantime, peel the tomatoes and chop them. Add to the meat and cook until they evaporate.
3. Prepare the béchamel sauce: heat the butter in a deep pan, add the flour, and gradually add milk to the roux, stirring continuously. Finally, season it, add grated cheese, crumbled feta cheese, and beaten eggs.
4. Grease a baking dish. First, lay out the cooked pasta (keeping some aside), then pour half of the béchamel sauce over it. Now, it's time for the meat with tomatoes. Place the remaining pasta on top, and pour the remaining béchamel over it.
5. Bake uncovered at 175°C (350°F). The top should be distinctly browned; usually, half an hour is enough, but watching your pasticcio closely is better. It is better not to burn this culinary masterpiece!