I love making this as my children love it and it tastes wonderfully hot or cold. All you need to accompany it is a lovely fresh salad.
Ingredients
- 1 packet no. 1 macaroni 500g/1lb2oz
- 1kg/2lb 4oz minced pork or beef
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 2-3 onions finely chopped
- bunch flat parsley, chopped
- 400g can on chopped tomatoes (optional)
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- salt and pepper
FOR BECHAMEL SAUCE:
- 2 litres milk
- 3 eggs beaten
- 3 tbsp cornflour
- 1 glass/100g grated cheese, halloumi or kefalodiri
- salt and pepper
- cinnamon
Method
- Bring to the boil a large pan of water with 1 tsp salt, add macaroni and cook till just before al dente. When ready drain well and mix with 1 tbsp of olive oil
- In another pan heat 3 tbsp olive oil and sweat the onions till translucent. Add the minced pork and the chopped parsley. Season and cook till lightly browned. Add a teaspoon of cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Take off the heat
- To make the sauce, put ¾ of the milk to warm in a saucepan. Mix the rest with the cornflour to make a paste. Mix in the eggs.
- Take some of the warm milk and add to the milk/egg mixture slowly to stop from curdling, then slowly add the egg mixture to the saucepan
- Once it has thickened, season and add cinnamon to taste
- To assemble the pastitio, first put a layer of macaroni in an ovenproof dish, pour over some of the béchamel [this is to hold it together once it has cooled]
- Add all of the meat mixture, spreading evenly, followed by another layer of macaroni
- Cover with remaining béchamel sauce and top with grated cheese
- Cook for ¾ – one hour at 180c till lightly browned on top