https://akispetretzikis.com/en/recipe/7425/tsoureki-chwris-mixer
This one has mastic, mahleb and sesame,
I had this bright idea a few minutes ago.
Why not cross Tsoureki and Hot Cross Buns?
So, I googled, and sure enough, someone already thought of this. There goes the novelty requirement for my patent.
My Italian-American mother made that with Romano beans.
I’ve been wanting to make Pastitsio for a long time … I’ve never eaten but I knew I would like it. I looked through a lot of recipes and I chose this one from Olive & Mango … it had the biggest layer of bechamel.
I’ve never seen such a long recipe … maybe she just likes to be very thorough, like Marcella Hazan. I revised it down to 8 pages.
Day 1 I made the meat sauce and refrigerated it, Day 2 I did the rest … made it easier this way.
I couldn’t find the Bucatini # 2 anywhere so ordered from Amazon, 5 packages for $24. I never saw the Greek cheese in any store in SF so just went with Romano, I probably wouldn’t be able to taste the difference anyway. You have to grate 4 cups of cheese for this recipe!
I used my All-Clad Lasagna pan (I use this mainly to roast chickens) and it wouldn’t hold all the bechamel … I had a pint leftover.) Next time I’ll reduce the ingredients by 1/4 or 1/2. I put a 1/2 sheet pan underneath in case it bubbled over.
The people I served this to really loved it (me too!) and it tastes just as good reheated the next day. I’m sure penne would work just as well with this. I boiled the bucatini 6.30 minutes, next time … 6. The writing on the package is in Greek for I saw numbers 8-10 so that’s how I chose how long to get it al dente (since it will cook more by baking). I was too tired to make a salad so just served French radishes and endive with blue cheese dressing (Bob’s). Was perfect.
I’ve been wanting to make Pastitsio for a long time … I’ve never eaten but I knew I would like it. I looked through a lot of recipes and I chose this one from Olive & Mango … it had the biggest layer of bechamel.
I’ve never seen such a long recipe … maybe she just likes to be very thorough, like Marcella Hazan. I revised it down to 8 pages.
Day 1 I made the meat sauce and refrigerated it, Day 2 I did the rest … made it easier this way.
I couldn’t find the Bucatini # 2 anywhere so ordered from Amazon, 5 packages for $24. I never saw the Greek cheese in any store in SF so just went with Romano, I probably wouldn’t be able to taste the difference anyway. You have to grate 4 cups of cheese for this recipe!
I used my All-Clad Lasagna pan (I use this mainly to roast chickens) and it wouldn’t hold all the bechamel … I had a pint leftover.) Next time I’ll reduce the ingredients by 1/4 or 1/2. I put a 1/2 sheet pan underneath in case it bubbled over.
The people I served this to really loved it (me too!) and it tastes just as good reheated the next day. I’m sure penne would work just as well with this. I boiled the bucatini 6.30 minutes, next time … 6. The writing on the package is in Greek for I saw numbers 8-10 so that’s how I chose how long to get it al dente (since it will cook more by baking). I was too tired to make a salad so just served French radishes and endive with blue cheese dressing (Bob’s). Was perfect.
Great photos, especially of the finished product.
Pastitsio is always a two day project for me, too. Meat sauce the night before, the bechamel first (so it can cool down), then the pasta (penne), then assembly. I also add a little bechamel to the pasta layer, and use romano cheese. I’m not bothered by the “egginess”–pastitsio has always been that way in my family.
Which reminds me, it’s about time for me to make my annual batch.
Looks super!
I made it with macaroni, but almost used rigatoni for the visual, then decided I wasn’t going to stack the rigatoni anyway 
.
I prefer at least some of the meat sauce mixed with pasta to flavor it, though it’s less stark of a visual than a separate meat sauce layer. (But then I always prefer meat sauce mixed with pasta before serving rather than plopped on top.)
I like the look of this pasta. I had limited patience so didn’t fuss too much making the strands straighten out. When you take a bite you can try to get a little of each layer.
The recipe suggests you can mix a small amount of the bechamel with the pasta; that’s what I did.
I think it is best hot but I sent a pint container for a friend, heard he didn’t bother reheating, just ate it cold.
