Pastitsio
Pastitsio
Cypriot baked pasta, makaronia tou fournou, 40 min bake at 180°C, serves 8
Ingredients
Meat sauce pork mince 300g beef mince 300g onion 1 large (approx 160g), finely diced garlic 2 cloves, crushed ground cinnamon 3g (1 tsp) ground cloves 1g (pinch) ground nutmeg 1g (pinch) passata 185g dry red wine 100ml olive oil 30g salt and pepper to taste Pasta penne rigate 500g (or thick tubular pasta) Halloumi bechamel full-fat milk 1000ml butter 150g plain flour 150g halloumi 110g, grated cheddar 60g, grated parmesan 25g, grated ground nutmeg 1g (pinch) salt and pepper to taste
Cypriot pastitsio (makaronia tou fournou) uses pork mince or a pork and beef mix. The Greek version uses beef only. The Cypriot bechamel uses halloumi rather than kefalograviera. Another key difference: the meat sauce has no tomatoes in some village versions, but passata in smaller quantities than the Greek version is common and gives better colour.
Pasta: Greek pastitsio pasta (long tubes) is traditional. Penne rigate is the best supermarket substitute. The ridges hold the bechamel better than smooth penne.
On fresh pasta tubes from the KitchenAid: the pasta attachment does not make tubes. You would need a pasta extruder die. Fresh pasta sheets cut into short lengths could work as a substitute, but they go mushy with the long bake. Stick with dried penne.
Anari cheese (a soft Cypriot whey cheese similar to ricotta) is used in some village recipes in place of cheddar or parmesan. Use it if you can find it.
Recipe
1. Heat the olive oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Cook the onion until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
2. Add both minces and cook, breaking up clumps, until browned all over, about 8-10 minutes. Pour in the wine and let it reduce for 3-4 minutes.
3. Add the cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and passata. Stir well and simmer on low heat for 20-25 minutes until the sauce is thick and most of the liquid is gone. Season and set aside.
4. Cook the pasta in well-salted boiling water for 1-2 minutes less than the packet says. It will finish cooking in the oven. Drain and set aside.
5. Make the bechamel. Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 3-4 minutes until the roux smells biscuity.
KitchenAid shortcut for bechamel: use the balloon whisk attachment and the stand mixer bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (bain-marie). Add the roux to the bowl, drizzle in the warm milk in a steady stream with the mixer running on speed 4. Transfer to the hob only to finish thickening. This prevents lumps without constant hand-whisking.
Food processor shortcut: blend the roux in a food processor, pour in the warm milk with the motor running, then tip into a saucepan to thicken over heat. Very quick and lump-free.
6. Add the milk gradually, 200ml at a time, whisking well between each addition. Keep over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat.
7. Whisk in the grated halloumi, cheddar, parmesan, and nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper. The halloumi is quite salty so taste before adding extra salt.
8. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a large deep baking dish (roughly 32x22cm).
9. Tip the cooked pasta into the dish and spread in an even layer. Spoon all the meat sauce over the pasta and spread evenly. Pour the bechamel over the top and level with a spatula. It should be a thick, even layer.
10. Scatter a little extra grated halloumi over the top. Bake for 40 minutes until bubbling and deeply golden on top.
11. Leave to rest for at least 15 minutes before cutting. It sets as it cools and cuts into clean portions.
Sources: SBS Food (Cypriot-style pastitsio), Rosanna Etc (authentic Cypriot pastitsio), Afrodite’s Kitchen (Cyprus village Easter pastitsio).