PASTITSO 2

      Title: PASTITSO 2
  Categories: Greek
       Yield: 8 Servings
  
            Karen Mintzias
     500 g  Long macaroni
       4 tb Butter
     3/4 c  Grated Kefalotyri cheese *
     1/4 ts Nutmeg
            Salt & pepper
       3    Eggs; lightly beaten
 
 MMMMM-------------------------MEAT SAUCE------------------------------
       1 lg Onion; chopped
       1    Garlic clove; crushed
       2 tb Butter
     750 kg Ground beef
     1/4 c  Tomato paste
     1/2 c  Dry red or white wine
     1/2 c  Stock
       2 tb Chopped parsley
     1/2 ts Sugar
            Salt and pepper
 
 MMMMM------------------------CREAM SAUCE-----------------------------
     1/3 c  Butter
     1/2 c  Flour
       3 c  Milk
     1/4 ts Nutmeg
            Salt and pepper
       1    Egg; lightly beaten
  
   *Note: if Kefalotyri cheese is unavailable, Parmesan may be used
   instead.
   
   Serves: 12 as a first course; 6-8 as a main course Cooking time: 1-1/2
   hours Oven temperature: 180 C (350 F)
   
   Cook macaroni in boiling, salted water until just tender. Drain and
   return to pan.
   
   Melt butter until golden brown and pour over macaroni. Add 1/2 cup of
   the cheese, the nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste and toss well. Leave
   until cool, add eggs and toss again. Keep aside.
   
   Make meat sauce.  Gently fry onion and garlic in butter until onion is
   soft, increase heat and add ground beef. Stir well and cook until meat
   begins to brown. Add remaining meat sauce ingredients, cover and
   simmer over gentle heat for 20 minutes.
   
   Make cream sauce.  Melt butter in a saucepan, stir in flour and cook
   gently for 2 minutes.  Add milk all at once and bring to the boil,
   stirring constantly.  Boil gently for 1 minute. Add nutmeg, salt and
   pepper to taste and cool a little before stirring in beaten egg. Add
   1/2 cup of this sauce to the cooked meat sauce.
   
   To assemble Pastitso, butter a 33 x 23 x 8 cm (13 x 9 x 3 inch) oven
   dish. Spoon half of the prepared macaroni evenly in the base and top
   with the meat sauce. Cover with remaining macaroni, levelling top.
   
   Pour on cream sauce and spread to completely cover macaroni. Sprinkle
   remaining cheese on top and cook in a moderate oven for 50 minutes
   until golden brown. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting into
   squares to serve.
   
   From: "The Complete Middle East Cookbook" by Tess Mallos. ISBN: 1
   86302 069 1
   
   Typed for you by Karen Mintzias
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