Food - Drink
Greek Pastitsio Is The Lasagna Cousin You Need To Know Of
By WENDY MEAD
The cuisine of Greece extends far beyond mainstream favorites. The country is home to a hearty, layered pasta dish called pastitsio that might remind you of Italian lasagna.
Pastitsio is made of pasta, creamy béchamel sauce, and meat sauce layered together and topped with Greek cheese like kasseri or kefalotyri, before being baked in the oven.
Pastitsio takes its name from the Italian meat-and-pasta pie, pasticcio, but it evolved as a unique Greek recipe thanks to Greek chef Nikolaos Tselementes.
Tselementes introduced European cooking techniques to Greek cuisine, and is likely to thank for the addition of béchamel, one of the five French mother sauces, to pastitsio.
Although at first glance, pastitsio may look like a classic lasagna Bolognese, it’s unique in its use of tube-shaped noodles, Greek cheeses, and unique spices like cinnamon.