March 29, 2011

Pasta pie by my mother-in-law



Nic has been off across the other side of the world this week while the boys and I were lucky enough to have Pam, Nic's mum offer to help us with the day to day runnings of our family. Nic was giving papers on 16th Century Italians in Montreal, the jist of the paper I believe was about a donkey!?

 I know, some people have all the fun jobs!

With my leg still in the boot and the boys still wanting to eat (funny that), it was Pam who came to the rescue and did 99% of the cooking this week. I guess this is why I have been a little vacant in the bloggers sphere.....that and some ridiculously early morning starts that I don't wish to remember!!

My favourite dish of Pam's was a pork fillet cooked on the barbie, however, today's blog I will turn to the boys favourite meal of the week and also our dinner tonight seeing as she made enough for two dinners. Tonight also being Nic's first dinner back in the country. Does this make me a bad wife, leaving his first home cooked meal to his mum to make for him instead of his wife?

Pam gave me this recipe a few years ago. She plucked it out of one of her favourite magazines and told me it was a must for a growing family and I agree whole heartily. I was teaching a class when she served this to the boys last night (funnily enough it was a vegetarian class). I am not surprised they are in fits of excitement, the meal is a lasagna made with spaghetti instead of lasagna sheets. It is reheating while I type and I am salivating!

If you need any more convincing this is a kids favourtite- when I pulled it from the fridge to bring to room temp, the boys just got back from their swimming lessons. When they rounded the courner into the kitchen Alex pumps the air with his fist and says "yeah, yeah I LOVE this mum, you should learn to make it"
Learn I will Alex, but for now, lets all enjoy Grammies leftovers; thanks for a great week Pam!


Pastitso (macaroni and meat pie)
 Serves 6-8

500g long macaroni (or spaghetti)
4 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup Parmesan
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Salt and pepper
3 eggs- lightly beaten.

Meat sauce
1 large onion
1 clove garlic crushed
2 tbsp butter
750 g (1 1/2 lbs) ground beef
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup stock
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1/2 tsp sugar
s and p

Cream sauce
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
3 cups milk
1/4 tsp nutmeg
salt and pepper
1 egg lightly beaten

Cook macaroni until just tender. Drain. Pour melted butter over it in pan plus other ingredients except eggs. Add them when cool. Toss
 Cook meat sauce for 20 mins
 Make cream sauce.
 Add 1/2 cup of this sauce to meat sauce.
 Assemble in buttered oven dish (13 by 9 by3 ins).
Place half macaroni on base. Top with meat sauce. Cover with rest of macaroni. Pour over cream sauce. Sprinkle cheese on top. Bake 50 min until golden.
Rest for 10 min.




2 comments:

TKW said...

Camilla, this is genius. My picky gremlins might even eat this!

Bryan said...

Looks great my friend! I think the picky crowd at my house would go for this too. I hope that Nic enjoyed his travels to discuss a donkey.