Cooking with A Taste of Greece Festival

The Taste of Greece Festival is happening Aug 26 - Aug 29, 2021. Here is the recipe for Pastitso, or Greek Lasagna. Ingredients 2 lbs. ground beef 1 medium onion finely chopped 1 -2 garlic cloves minced 2 cups canned tomatoes crushed or tomato sauce 2 tablespoons tomato paste 3-4 tablespoons finely chopped parsley 1/3 cup olive oil 2 tablespoons butter 1 egg slightly beaten 2 cups grated cheese (preferably kefalotyri or graviera but you can use parmesan as well) 1 package pastitsio noodles #2 or #3 (you can also use penne pasta) Salt and pepper to taste A pinch of salt 1 cinnamon stick (optional) In a heavy sauce pan heat the olive oil and sauté the onion. Stir in the ground beef and brown. Add tomato sauce and paste, garlic, salt, pepper, parsley, cinnamon stick and simmer until all liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let it cool. Boil the pasta and lightly salted water until tender. Strain and toss with butter, when it cools mix and one cup of grated cheese. Please half of the pasta in a greased (12 x 14) oven proof Pyrex dish or pan. Fold in the lightly beaten egg in the meat mixture and spoon evenly on top of the noodles. Sprinkle with half cup of grated cheese. Cover meat with remaining noodles. Add the remaining 1/2 Please half of the pasta in a greased 12 x 14 oven proof Pyrex dish or p.m. fold in the lightly beaten egg in the meat mixture and spoon evenly on top of the noodles sprinkle with half cup of grated cheese. Cover meet with remaining noodles add the remaining half cup of grated cheese to the béchamel sauce and pour over the noodles evenly. Bake in a preheated oven at 350° for 45 minutes until golden brown. Optional : you can sprinkle plain breadcrumbs and paprika over the béchamel sauce before baking. Remove from oven and allow pistachio too cool for 30 minutes before cutting into serving pieces. Béchamel Sauce 6 cups milk, warm 1 1/2 sticks butter 2 eggs 12 to 14 tablespoons all purpose four 1/2 teaspoon salt White pepper to taste 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 cup grated cheese (preferably kefalotyri or graviera but you can use parmesan as well) In a medium sauce pan melt butter and stir in four slowly, stirring constantly with a wire whisk. Sauté for 1 to 2 minutes, reduce heat to low and pour in the warm milk slowly, stirring constantly with the whisk. Te mixture has to be smooth with no lumps, keep on stirring until sauce starts to bubble and looks thick and smooth, for approximately 10 to 15 minutes. If there are lumps place a strainer over another pan and strain sauce through. Remove from fre and salt, pepper and nutmeg. Beat eggs lightly and Ed very slowly to the sauce whisking continuously.