Pastitsio (pasta dish)

Pastitsio
Ingredients

Krema Besamel ("Cream")
1/2 cup Butter (or Margarine for Lenten version)
1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
8 tablespoons Flour Salt
4 cups Milk White Pepper
4 To 6 Egg Yolks (use equivalent amount of soy milk for Lenten version)
Pastitsio Noodles
8 ounces Macaroni (2 c raw) -- cook and 1 tablespoon Olive oil -drain

"Meat" Filling
1 ounce Butter (or Margarine for Lenten version)
Salt 1 lg Onion -- finely chopped
Freshly ground Black Pepper
1 1/2 pounds Ground beef (Tofu Hamburger Meat can be used instead for Lenten version)
1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon
2 tablespoons Simeon's Homemade Tomato sauce recipe (see Simeon's crazy Pizza recipe below...)
1/2 cup Dried breadcrumbs (left over dried pita bread works)
3/4 cup Dry Red Wine (If you have nothing else, sweet wine with a dash of red wine vinegar works too)
1 1/2 cups Grated Kefalotiri OR 1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg Parmesan Cheese OR 1 1/2 cups Grated SOY CHEESE for Lenten version

Serves 8 people!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt 1 oz of butter (or Margarine) in large skillet and saute onion til soft and transparent. Add the meat (or Tofu Hamburger Meat), cook until browned. Mix tomato paste with wine and add to meat. Continue cooking, adding nutmeg, salt, pepper, and cinnamon. Cook about 15 minutes, take off heat, cool and mix in half the breadcrumbs and half the grated cheese. Set aside. Do not allow meat to "bulk", keep it separated. Cook the macaroni in boiling water with oil til soft. Drain and set aside. Make crema ("cream"). Stir in 1/4 c. cheese.

To Assemble:
Grease a baking dish (LIKE A LASAGNA PAN) and sprinkle it with breadcrumbs. Spread half the cooked pasta over the bottom of the dish and sprinkle it with 1/4 c reserved cheese. Spread all of the meat over the pasta. Pour half the sauce over the meat and spread the rest of the pasta over it. Sprinkle it with 2 TB. of cheese. Pour the rest of the sauce on top and smooth with a spatula. Sprinkle with the rest of the cheese and breadcrumbs and bake in the preheated oven 50-60 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting into squares.

Serve with lots of Greek salad, homemade bread with a dish containing a mixture of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and some homemade Greek wine to drink:)

And no, I don't eat like this all the time :( Its only when I get fed up with waiting for my sister to cook that I give in and cook up a storm lol

God Bless,
Sim