PASTITSIO

PASTITSIO ( Greek spaghetti) (Recipe from my dear friend, Maria Zoukis, in Ottawa, Ontario) This is her recipe...I kin dof  tweak the ingredients here and there, and I'm afraid I don't measure much, but this is the recipe she gave to me. So good. Reminds me of her when I make it.....

½ pound cooked pasta
3 tbsp butter
1 chopped onions
1 lb ground beef/ veggie beef or vegetables
Spaghetti sauce ( homemade or other)
Garlic / salt/pepper/cinnamon( to taste)

WHITE SAUCE:
2 tsp cinnamon
4 tbsp butter
3-6 tbsp flour
3 cups milk ( give or take....add more if you need to)
3 eggs
Dash pepper, salt, nutmeg,

1.    Cook Pasta. Grease a 9 x 13 pan. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

2.   Cook beef/veggie substitute with onion and butter. Add spaghetti sauce. I add a bit of broth or water to make it less tomatoe like. Have also experimented with just broth. Nice, but not quite the same. Simmer 20 minutes on low heat.

MAKE WHITE SAUCE: Cook 4 tbsp butter with the flour till combined. Add milk. Stir till a little thickened. Break eggs into a small bowl. Pour in a  little of the white sauce to get the eggs used to the heat ( otherwise they will curdle). Stir well. Then pour egg mixture back  into the hot white sauce on stove. Stir till nice and thick. Add seasonings. Taste. Adjust to taste.

 Make a roux with flour and butter...............

 Add milk and seasonings...................

 Beat eggs with a little of the white sauce..........

Add back into sauce.............

3.Place cooked beef/veggie mixture in bottom of 9 x 13 pan. Top with cooked pasta. Pour over all of this, the white sauce, sprinkle with nutmeg and cinnamon.Bake at 350 for about 50 minutes till bubbly and a little golden. Serve with salad. This is such a treat. But do not freeze leftovers, because of the white sauce which has eggs. Have to lunch the next day………so good.