Name: Pasticcio
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 100 min
Total time: 130 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 60 ml extra-virgin olive oil (¼ cup); 1 each small onion, small carrot and celery stalk, finely diced; 60 gm mild pancetta, finely chopped; 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 750 gm minced beef; 130 ml red wine; 450 ml tomato passata; 1 tbsp coarsely chopped oregano; ½ tsp thinly sliced sage (3 leaves); 400 gm dried zitoni tagliati (see note); For greasing: butter; For dusting: fine fresh breadcrumbs; To serve: finely grated parmesan; Salsa besciamella; 70 gm butter, coarsely chopped; 70 gm plain flour, sieved; 700 ml milk; 80 gm each provolone piccante and parmesan, coarsely grated

Pasticcio

Australian Gourmet Traveller pasta recipe for pasticcio.

Serves 6

Prep

30M

Cook

1H 40M

Total

2H 10M

There are many different Italian baked pasta dishes called pasticcio. This one calls for a rich tomato and beef sauce and creamy béchamel topping. Don’t skimp on the parmesan.

Ingredients

60 ml extra-virgin olive oil (¼ cup)

1 each small onion, small carrot and celery stalk, finely diced

60 gm mild pancetta, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

750 gm minced beef

130 ml red wine

450 ml tomato passata

1 tbsp coarsely chopped oregano

½ tsp thinly sliced sage (3 leaves)

400 gm dried zitoni tagliati (see note)

For greasing: butter

For dusting: fine fresh breadcrumbs

To serve: finely grated parmesan

Salsa besciamella

70 gm butter, coarsely chopped

70 gm plain flour, sieved

700 ml milk

80 gm each provolone piccante and parmesan, coarsely grated

Method

Main

1.Heat half the oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Sauté onion, carrot, celery, pancetta and garlic until tender and starting to caramelise (10-15 minutes), remove from pan and set aside. Add 1 tbsp oil to pan, add half the beef and sauté until browned (3-5 minutes), remove from pan and repeat with remaining oil and beef. Return beef and vegetables to pan, add wine and cook until reduced by one-third (3-5 minutes). Add tomato passata, oregano and sage, and cook over low heat until thickened (20-30 minutes). Set aside.

2.Preheat oven to 190C. Cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until just al dente (5-10 minutes). Drain and refresh under cold running water. Layer in a 2.5-litre-capacity baking dish, buttered and dusted with breadcrumbs, top with beef mixture and refrigerate.

3.For salsa besciamella, heat butter in a saucepan over medium heat, add flour and stir until sand-coloured (3-5 minutes). Add milk gradually, stirring continuously until incorporated and sauce is smooth (5-10 minutes). Add cheeses, stir until melted, spoon over beef mixture, scatter with extra parmesan and bake until golden and bubbly (30-40 minutes). Serve hot.

Note Zitoni tagliati is a tubular pasta available from select Italian delicatessens. If unavailable, substitute another medium-sized tubular pasta, such as rigatoni.
Notes

By Gourmet Food Team

Gourmet Traveller is Australia’s trusted authority on food, travel and luxury lifestyle, bringing the latest news and trends to life through quality journalism, enticing recipes and evocative photography. For more than 55 years, it has been inspiring and informing Australians with the best in cooking and dining. The Gourmet Traveller legacy is one of trust, prestige and relevance.

Styling by Vanessa Austin