How to make
Chop the onion and stew it for 5 minutes in olive oil, until it softens. Remove the lid and cook, until it aqures a light caramel color. Then add a grated carrot and garlic. The carrot is optional, I add it for extra freshness and flavor.
Add the tomato puree, diluted with a little water and wine and when the sauce thickens, add the minced meat and stir to avoid lumps.
Season with oregano, cinnamon, cloves and black pepper and cook for 3-4 minutes, while stirring constantly.
Put the pasta to boil (al dente) in slightly salted water. When ready, strain it and drizzle it with a little olive oil, so that it does not stick. In addition to the traditional pasta for this dish, you can use ordinary pasta, longer or those that still have holes and the idea is for the sauce go through them.
Prepare the Béchamel by melting the butter over a low to medium heat and pouring the flour into it at once. Fry it, while stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes and pour the heated milk in portions or a thin stream, without stopping to stir or beat with a wire whisk. Season with white pepper, salt and nutmeg.
When the béchamel thickens (8-10 minutes of boiling and stirring), remove it from the heat, wait 2-3 minutes and add the egg yolks, while beating well until smooth creamy mixture is obtained.
In a baking pan (mine is 10x10″ /25x25 cm/ square) pour half of the pasta and mix it with a little salt and egg whites. Sprinkle it with some of the grated hard aromatic cheese. Spread the tomato sauce with minced meat and cover with the remaining pasta.
Drizzle it evenly with the béchamel sauce and cover it with the remaining cheese.
Put the Greek pasticcio to bake in a preheated oven at 360°F (180 degrees) for 20 minutes, then increase the heat to 390°F (200 degrees), sprinkle them with soft grated yellow cheese (Emmental for example, the amount is also optional and according to taste).
Bake until the cheese aquire a golden brown color.
The Greek Pasticio strongly resembles Italian pasta with bolognese and béchamel sauce, such as lasagna, but there are small differences coming from the distribution and arrangement of products, different spices and the presence of eggs in the Béchamel and pasta.
Gorgeous dish! Enjoy!
