1 tsp vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, finely diced
1 zucchini, finely chopped
3/4 lb lean ground beef
1 1/2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 tbsp tomato paste
19 oz canned tomatoes
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
PASTA CUSTARD LAYERS
3 tbsp butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cup milk
1 egg
1 cup 2% cottage cheese
1 cup mozzarella, part-skin,
1 shredded
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp nutmeg
3 cup pasta shells
1/4 cup parmesan, freshly grated
Directions
This is the Greek variation of lasagna.
In large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat; cook garlic,
onion, carrots and zucchini, stirring, for about 5 minutes or until
softened. Add beef, basil, oregano, cinnamon, salt, pepper and thyme;
cook, stirring to break up beef, for about 3 minutes or until meat is
no longer pink. Pour in tomato paste and tomatoes, mashing tomatoes
with fork; bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer for about 20 minutes or
until almost all liquid is evaporated and sauce is thickened. Stir in
parsley; set aside.
Pasta Custard Layers: In heavy saucepan, melt butter over medium
heat; stir in flour. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.
gradually whisk in milk; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low or
until thickened. In large bowl, whisk eggs; whisk in about 1/2 cup of
the hot milk sauce. Return mixture to saucepan; cook, stirring, for 2
minutes. Remove from heat; blend in cottage cheese, mozzarella, salt,
pepper and nutmeg.
Meanwhile, in large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta for about
8 minutes or until almost tender. Drain; return to pot. Add cheese
sauce; toss well.
Spread half of the pasta mixture in greased 13x9-inch baking dish;
spread meat mixture over top. Spread remaining pasta mixture evenly
over meat. Sprinkle with Parmesan.
[Can be prepared to this point, covered and refrigerated for up to 1
day. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.]
Bake in 375F 190C oven for 1 hour or until heated through and top is
lightly browned. Let stand for 10 minutes.
Serve with a light green salad tossed with a sun-dried tomato
vinaigrette.
6 servings for $13.26CDN [Nov 95]
Per Serving: about 495 calories, 29 g protein, 19 g fat, 52 g
carbohydrate, high source fibre, good source iron, excellent source
calcium
Source: Canadian Living magazine, Nov 95 Presented in article "Hearty
& Healthy: Casseroles See The Light" Recipe by Canadian Living Test
Kitchen
[-=PAM=-] PA_Meadows@msn.com
Servings: 6 servings
1-Pot: Pastitsio Goes Light Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Beverage; Cheese; Italian; Meat; Pasta
The History of Recipes
It is quite feasible to prove the history of written cooking instructions back into the distant past, in truth as far into history as the early Egyptians, and possibly even further than that. Having said that, these, early cook books were just simple pictorial instructions for preparing food.
Interestingly, the most ancient recipe discovered so far, according to food historians is a series of clay tablets in the Sumerian language which describe the baking of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as making anyone who drank it feel `exhilarated, wonderful and blissful`. As we move into The time of the romans 25BC a man called Apicius assembled a number of scripts which described recipes enjoyed by his fellow Romans. In his scrolls, he tells us how the roman meals were divided into hors d`oeuvre, main meal and dessert, something we still use today. Aspicius describes how the Roman cooks used a good variety of herbs and spices, including a few you will know such as basil, mint and parsley. Closer to modern times, there are two interesting recipe books dating from the 14th Century ; a cookery book called `Forme of Cury`, and another named `Curye on Inglish`. Don`t be fooled by the titles though, these have no connection with the curry that is familiar to us all today, but instead accounts of the types of food on the menus of the wealthy. Later, in the 15th century, the Crusaders brought back many new foods, spices and herbs from Arab cuisine, such as rosemary and coriander. These new culinary innovations prompted an explosion in publications on food, most of which are kept safe in private cookery archives. During the next few hundred years, the powerful families of Wesstern Europe tried to serve up the most exotic banquets, and because of this cooks and their recipe collections could command a high salary. Notwithstanding that, it wasn`t until the 19th century that formal cookery and recipe books became popular. The Famous Mrs Beeton in the UK, and the equally well-known Fannie Farmer in the US, devoted their lives to collecting, verifying, and writing down popular recipes of the day. By the time we get to the twentieth century, recipe publications were increasing in popularity due to higher levels of literacy, people having more free time and having more money to spend. |
We hope you enjoy this 1 Pot_ Pastitsio Goes Light recipe.
