Reduced-Fat Pastitsio (Greek Lasagna)
By Cristin WalshPublished on August 4, 2014
Time
2 hours, plus 20 minutes cooling
Yield
Serves 8
Ingredients
MEAT SAUCE
1 pound white mushrooms, trimmed and halved1 slice hearty white sandwich bread, torn into quarters2 tablespoons 2 percent low-fat milk Salt and pepper 1 pound 93 percent lean ground turkey 1 teaspoon olive oil 1 onion, chopped fine2 tablespoons tomato paste 4 garlic cloves, minced1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 (15-ounce) can tomato saucePASTA AND BÉCHAMEL
8 ounces (2 cups) elbow macaroni Salt and pepper 3 tablespoons cornstarch 3 cups 2 percent low-fat milk 1 teaspoon olive oil 3 garlic cloves, minced1 (12-ounce) can evaporated skim milk 2 ½ ounces Pecorino Romano cheese, grated (1 ¼ cups)⅓ cup 2 percent Greek yogurtBefore You Begin
The meat sauce can be made and refrigerated up to two days in advance. The béchamel is best made the day of use.
Instructions
- Process mushrooms in food processor until coarsely chopped, about 10 pulses, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Transfer mushrooms to bowl; set aside. In now-empty processor, pulse bread, milk, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper until paste forms, about 8 pulses. Add turkey and pulse until well combined, about 6 pulses.
- Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, mushrooms, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook until liquid has evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, garlic, oregano, and cinnamon and cook until fragrant and tomato paste turns rust colored, about 1 minute. Stir in tomato sauce. Add turkey mixture and cook, breaking into small pieces with spoon, until no longer pink, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Bring 2 quarts water to boil in Dutch oven. Add macaroni and 1/2 tablespoon salt and cook until al dente. Drain in colander, rinse with cold water until cool, and then drain again thoroughly. Transfer macaroni to large bowl.
- Whisk cornstarch together with 1/2 cup low-fat milk and set aside. Combine oil and garlic in now-empty pot and set over medium-high heat. Once garlic begins to brown, add evaporated milk and remaining 2 1/2 cups low-fat milk and bring to boil, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching. Whisk cornstarch mixture to recombine, then whisk into pot. Return to boil, whisking constantly, and cook until thickened, about 1 minute. Off heat, whisk in 1 cup Pecorino. Season béchamel with salt and pepper to taste.
- Grease 13 by 9-inch baking dish with vegetable oil spray. Stir 2 cups béchamel into macaroni until combined. Transfer sauced macaroni to prepared dish. Spread meat sauce over macaroni. Whisk yogurt into remaining béchamel, then pour over meat sauce. Sprinkle pastitsio with remaining 1/4 cup Pecorino. Bake until golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes, rotating dish halfway through baking. Let cool for 20 minutes. Serve.
for the meat sauce
for the pasta and béchamel
Time
2 hours, plus 20 minutes coolingYield
Serves 8Ingredients
MEAT SAUCE
1 pound white mushrooms, trimmed and halved
1 slice hearty white sandwich bread, torn into quarters
2 tablespoons 2 percent low-fat milk
Salt and pepper
1 pound 93 percent lean ground turkey
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped fine
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
PASTA AND BÉCHAMEL
8 ounces (2 cups) elbow macaroni
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 cups 2 percent low-fat milk
1 teaspoon olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated skim milk
2 ½ ounces Pecorino Romano cheese, grated (1 ¼ cups)
⅓ cup 2 percent Greek yogurt
Ingredients
MEAT SAUCE
1 pound white mushrooms, trimmed and halved
1 slice hearty white sandwich bread, torn into quarters
2 tablespoons 2 percent low-fat milk
Salt and pepper
1 pound 93 percent lean ground turkey
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped fine
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
PASTA AND BÉCHAMEL
8 ounces (2 cups) elbow macaroni
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 cups 2 percent low-fat milk
1 teaspoon olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated skim milk
2 ½ ounces Pecorino Romano cheese, grated (1 ¼ cups)
⅓ cup 2 percent Greek yogurt
Ingredients
MEAT SAUCE
1 pound white mushrooms, trimmed and halved
1 slice hearty white sandwich bread, torn into quarters
2 tablespoons 2 percent low-fat milk
Salt and pepper
1 pound 93 percent lean ground turkey
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped fine
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
PASTA AND BÉCHAMEL
8 ounces (2 cups) elbow macaroni
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 cups 2 percent low-fat milk
1 teaspoon olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated skim milk
2 ½ ounces Pecorino Romano cheese, grated (1 ¼ cups)
⅓ cup 2 percent Greek yogurt
Why This Recipe Works
Slimming down this traditionally rich and indulgent Greek diner classic took some ingenuity. First we swapped out the usual beef or lamb for leaner turkey, but when the meaty flavor suffered and the meat texture was pebbly, we added flavorful mushrooms and a panade to the mixture to find the right balance. We then swapped out fatty dairy in the cream sauce for low-fat evaporated milk and 2 percent low-fat milk, and rather than using a buttery roux to thicken the cream sauce, we relied on cornstarch. For a final punch of flavor, we added Pecorino and low-fat Greek yogurt to the cream sauce.
Before You Begin
The meat sauce can be made and refrigerated up to two days in advance. The béchamel is best made the day of use.
Instructions
- Process mushrooms in food processor until coarsely chopped, about 10 pulses, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Transfer mushrooms to bowl; set aside. In now-empty processor, pulse bread, milk, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper until paste forms, about 8 pulses. Add turkey and pulse until well combined, about 6 pulses.
- Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, mushrooms, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook until liquid has evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, garlic, oregano, and cinnamon and cook until fragrant and tomato paste turns rust colored, about 1 minute. Stir in tomato sauce. Add turkey mixture and cook, breaking into small pieces with spoon, until no longer pink, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Bring 2 quarts water to boil in Dutch oven. Add macaroni and 1/2 tablespoon salt and cook until al dente. Drain in colander, rinse with cold water until cool, and then drain again thoroughly. Transfer macaroni to large bowl.
- Whisk cornstarch together with 1/2 cup low-fat milk and set aside. Combine oil and garlic in now-empty pot and set over medium-high heat. Once garlic begins to brown, add evaporated milk and remaining 2 1/2 cups low-fat milk and bring to boil, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching. Whisk cornstarch mixture to recombine, then whisk into pot. Return to boil, whisking constantly, and cook until thickened, about 1 minute. Off heat, whisk in 1 cup Pecorino. Season béchamel with salt and pepper to taste.
- Grease 13 by 9-inch baking dish with vegetable oil spray. Stir 2 cups béchamel into macaroni until combined. Transfer sauced macaroni to prepared dish. Spread meat sauce over macaroni. Whisk yogurt into remaining béchamel, then pour over meat sauce. Sprinkle pastitsio with remaining 1/4 cup Pecorino. Bake until golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes, rotating dish halfway through baking. Let cool for 20 minutes. Serve.
for the meat sauce
for the pasta and béchamel
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