Greek Pastitsio, gluten-free
It’s impossible to find gluten-free pastistio (the proper pasta for this dish) so you pretty much have to find a gluten-free bucatini, rigatoni, or penne. I like the corn-based pasta better than the rice flour pasta, because the rice flour version gets gooey in a hurry. I was in a hurry so I just used the Target brand gluten-free Fusilli. It would have been better to go with a tubular pasta because when you serve a square of the final product, it doesn’t fall apart on the plate.
The Pasta Layer
10 oz bucatini gluten-free pasta
3 tbsp melted real, actual butter
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup milk
1 egg, beaten
The Meat Sauce
1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup drinkable white wine
1/2 cup milk
10 oz can of whole tomatoes
(or save time using tomato paste)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp fresh ground pepper
The crema (béchamel) sauce
4 tbsp butter (2 oz)
4 tbsp rice flour
¼ tsp salt
2 cups milk
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1. Pasta. Boil the pasta in water until it is al dente. Most pastitsio I’ve had in restaurants has pretty soggy pasta. Maybe that’s on purpose. When the pasta is cooked, toss it in a colander to drain it. While it’s draining, toss 3 tbsp butter into the pan on medium and melt it. Add 1/3 cup milk and mix it together. Add the pasta back in and stir until the mixture is hot enough to melt the Parmesan cheese. Turn off the heat, add the parmesan, and a well-beaten egg.
2. Meat Sauce. While the pasta is boiling, take a nice broad enameled pan or skillet, and cook the ground beef and onion until the meat is barely done and the onion becomes transparent. Don’t cook it on high heat because it oxidizes the fats, just let it cook on medium until it’s ready. Go back and finish the pasta mixture while it cooks.
3. Add the half cup of wine and reduce it, stirring occasionally, until it is evaporated. While this is simmering, jump to step 7 and work on your cream sauce.
4. Add the half cup of milk and reduce it, stirring more frequently, until it is evaporated.
5. Add 1 teaspoon salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and pepper. Some versions I’ve tasted go nuts on the nutmeg.
6. Stir in the tomatoes. I like to use canned whole tomatoes and crush them up as they cook. The whole tomatoes are always better quality than the crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce. Simmer the sauce, stirring it occasionally, until the water content is reduced and the meat sauce is about the thickness of spaghetti sauce. You can save a lot of time here by substituting a small can of tomato paste, which immediately leaves you at the desired consistency. But the tomato sauce will hugely benefit from a slow, four-hour simmer. You won’t believe the flavor it picks up.
7. Crema. While your meat sauce is simmering, get out a saucepan and a whisk, and pour out two cups of milk and have it handy ahead of time because when you need it, you will need it in a hurry. You can’t get distracted at this phase or you will end up with a burnt, pasty mess, so if you have someone else to stir your meat sauce, you will be thankful.
8. Now, melt 4 tablespoons of butter on about medium heat, a bit lower if this is your first time. Whisk in all the rice flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Something amazing will happen, which is that you will get a very thick yellowish paste. Slowly pour in a quarter cup of milk and whisk it in. It will get completely absorbed by the yellow blob. Let it heat up but not burn. Repeat adding one quarter cup of milk at a time, whisking it in, and letting it heat almost to a boil, before adding more milk, until you get a thick creamy sauce. Cook that sauce for about a minute. It will continue to thicken as long as you keep cooking it, so when it’s about ready, almost like thin yogurt, remove it from the heat.
9. Beat an egg in a small bowl, then pour it into the cream sauce, and mix it just enough that it’s dispersed in the sauce. Don’t overdo it.
10. Toss in the 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and mix it until the cheese is melted into the homogenous mixture.
11. Layer half the pasta mixture in a 11″ x 7″ (or 2 quart) baking dish. Putting more shredded Parmesan here doesn’t hurt, and it helps knit the pasta together.
12. Put the meat sauce in a layer on top, then cover it with the remaining pasta.
13. Pour the cream sauce over the top, to cover it completely.
14. Bake, uncovered, at 350F for about 40 minutes, or until hot and lightly browned.
15. Remove from the oven and let it cool down for about 15 minutes.
16. Serve!