nee’s spaghetti slice | greek pastitsio

nee’s spaghetti slice | greek pastitsio

for the mince sauce

1 x large brown onion, finely chopped
3 x garlic cloves, crushed
750 grams of beef mince
2 x carrots, peeled and grated
1 x 50 gram sachet of tomato paste
2 x 400 gram tins of crushed tomatoes
1 x teaspoon of sugar
A good splash of Worcestershire sauce
1 x beef stock cube, crumbled
1 x empty tomato tin full of water (plus more water to add as the sauce cooks)
2 x dried bay leaves
A sprinkling of dried oregano
A glug of olive oil
A very good seasoning of salt and freshly cracked pepper

for the white sauce

50 grams of butter
2 x heaped tablespoons of plain flour
2 1/2 cups of milk
A light sprinkling of ground nutmeg
A light sprinkling of dried parsley
Salt and white pepper
1/2 cup of grated tasty cheese

400 grams of dried spaghetti
1 x cup of grated tasty cheese

• First things first – get cracking on the mince sauce.
• In a large fry pan – add a glug of olive oil and add the onions and garlic. Cook, stirring until softened.
• Add the mince and cook until it’s browned all over. Season with a good amount of salt and pepper here.
• Add the carrots, tomato paste, tinned tomatoes, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, stock cube, water, bay leaves and oregano and simmer for at least 20 – 30 minutes (or longer if you have the time). Stir occasionally, adding extra water so that it doesn’t dry out.
• Now to make the white sauce –  in a medium saucepan on a low-med heat, add the butter and let it melt. Add the flour and using a whisk, stir until the flour has been cooked off and you’ve formed a roux.
• Gradually add the milk whilst continuing to whisk; the sauce will start to thicken until you have a nice white sauce.
• Season with salt, white pepper and a light sprinkling of nutmeg and dried parsley.
• Stir through 1/2 cup of grated cheese and set aside.
• Cook the spaghetti in a large saucepan of salted boiling water until al dente. (Do not overcook).
• Discard the bay leaves from the meat sauce.
• In a large lasagna dish simply layer the meat sauce, spaghetti and white sauce until you’ve used it all up. (NB: Don’t worry about being too precise here but do try and make it so that the majority of the white sauce is on top).
• Sprinkle the grated cheese over the top and bake in a moderate oven for about 20 -30 minutes or until it’s nice and golden brown.

Serve with a fresh salad.

Lo’s tips

• You can use any type of pasta that you like here. Replace the spaghetti with penne, rigatoni or macaroni instead.
• This freezes really well too. Make a big batch and freeze in individual portions for an easy midweek meal.
• Alternatively, you can use half beef and half pork mince.
• You can also add a light sprinkling of ground cinnamon to the beef sauce if you like.
• Use fresh parsley or basil too in the meat sauce, if you happen to have it.