I tried to think of a new name for this, but with the migraine I have, I’m not feeling too creative at the moment. This is a combination of 2 of my favorite Greek dishes, Moussaka and Pastitsio. I got the Italian themed veggie pack from Bountiful Baskets this week, and it had an eggplant and a zucchini. Not really enough to make Moussaka or something like Eggplant Lasagna, so I decided that adding some pasta, like in Pastitsio, it would make a great meal. I was right, it turned out great. I put the pasta on the bottom, then the zucchini and eggplant, then the meat sauce, then the bechamel sauce.
Moussaka and Pastitsio All in One
What you need:
Filling:
1 eggplant, cut lengthwise, 1/2 in width
1 zucchini, cut lengthwise , 1/2 in width
Salt
Olive oil
1/2 lb macaroni (supposed to be long macaroni noodles, but they are hard to find, so elbow macaroni or a noodle like penne or ziti works too)
1 eggs
1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick)
1 lb ground beef or lamb (for meatless, use diced mushrooms, zucchini or eggplant)
1 medium onion
1 12 oz can tomato paste
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Grated Kefalotiri, Parmesan, or Romano cheese
Cream sauce (krema):
2-1/2 cups milk
2 eggs
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup butter
Salt and pepper to taste
How to make it:
Preheat oven to 375 F.
Sprinkle eggplant slices with salt and set on paper towels for 15-20 minutes to let them drain. Pat tops with a paper towel. Spray or brush each side of the eggplant and zucchini slices with olive oil and lay in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in oven for 10 minutes, flip slices over and bake for another 10 minutes, until they are tender and slightly brown.
Boil macaroni according to package; drain; return to pan. Melt the 1/4 cup butter, beat in egg, and stir in with macaroni.
In a skillet, brown onion and ground beef or lamb. Add tomato paste, and seasonings. Cook for 5 – 10 minutes.
Make cream sauce. Melt 1/4 cup butter and pour in 1/4 cup flour; brown slowly. Beat 2 eggs with 2-1/2 cups milk, salt, and pepper, and pour into butter and flour mixture very slowly; mix well. Cook over low heat until it thickens.
To assemble, grease a 9 x 13 pan. Add macaroni mixture to pan and press down with a piece of wax paper. Sprinkle generously with the grated cheese. Lay out eggplant and zucchini in a single layer.
Sprinkle with grated cheese. Spread the meat sauce evenly. Pour cream sauce evenly on top.
Bake in preheated oven for 45 – 50 minutes, or until golden brown.
Freezes best unbaked, thawed for 1/2 hour, then baked as above.
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