Pastitsio facts for kids
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| Course | Pasta |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Greece |
| Region or state | Southern Europe |
| Created by | Italian cuisine, Greek cuisine |
| Main ingredients | ground beef, béchamel sauce |
Pastitsio (Greek: παστίτσιο, pastítsio) is a yummy Greek baked pasta dish. It's made with ground meat and a creamy béchamel sauce. You can find similar dishes in other countries around the Mediterranean Sea.
Contents
What's in a Name?
The name Pastitsio comes from the Italian word pasticcio. This word describes a big family of baked savory pies. These pies can be made with meat, fish, or pasta. People have been making them since the early 1500s! Some Italian versions even have a pastry crust or béchamel sauce.
The word pasticcio has been used since the 16th century. It means "any kind of pastie or pie." It comes from an old Latin word, pastīcium, which means "pie." Sometimes, pasticcio can also mean "a mess" or "a tough situation."
Pastitsio Around the World
In Egypt, this dish is known as macarona béchamel. That means "macaroni with béchamel."
In parts of the Balkans where people speak Albanian, the dish is called pastiçe. It also comes from the word pasticcio. This version often doesn't have meat. Instead, it uses a mix of egg and cheese.
Among people in Turkey and Turkish Cyprus, this dish is called fırında makarna. This simply means "macaroni in the oven."
Pastitsio in Greece
The most popular way to make Pastitsio today was created by Nikolaos Tselementes. He was a famous Greek chef in the early 1900s. Before him, Greek Pastitsio was different. It had pasta, liver, meat, eggs, and cheese. It didn't have béchamel sauce. It was also wrapped in filo pastry, like many Italian pasticcio recipes.
Chef Tselementes completely changed the dish. He made it into a baked casserole with a creamy topping. This is the version you'll find everywhere in Greece now.
How Greek Pastitsio is Made
The bottom layer of Greek Pastitsio is usually made with bucatini or other tube-shaped pasta. Cheese or egg helps hold the pasta together.
The middle layer has ground beef. Sometimes it's a mix of ground beef and ground pork. This meat is cooked with tomato sauce, cinnamon, and cloves. Other spices like nutmeg or allspice might be added too.
The top layer is a thick, creamy béchamel or mornay sauce. People often sprinkle grated goat cheese on top. Pastitsio is a very common dish in Greece. It's often served as the main meal, usually with a fresh salad.
Pastitsio in Egypt
The Egyptian version is called مَكَرونَة بَشَّمَل makarōna beshamel. This means "macaroni with béchamel." This dish usually uses penne or macaroni pasta. It has a minced-meat sauce with tomato and onion. The white sauce is often made richer with Rumi cheese. Sometimes, egg or other cheeses like cheddar and mozzarella are baked on top. Greek and Italian immigrants brought this dish to Egypt in the 1800s.
Pastitsio in Malta
In Malta, a similar dish is called timpana. The name probably comes from the Italian word timballo. To make timpana, people first partially boil macaroni. Then, they mix it with a tomato sauce that has a little bit of minced beef or corned beef. Raw egg and grated cheese are added to bind it all together. Sometimes, hard-boiled eggs are also included. The macaroni mixture is then put inside a pastry case or under a pastry lid. Finally, it's baked until golden. A similar dish without the pastry is called imqarrun.
See also
In Spanish: Pastitsio para niños
