I’m still getting my feet under me after being in the Boston area for a week, it is amazing how much stuff can accumulate when you are gone. I haven’t even had time to go near the kitchen and cook anything beyond the basics, very happy to come home to 60 degree weather, though. Makes me long for grilling season. Tonight’s menu is a favorite. Pasticcio is kind of like a Greek mac‘n cheese, but the cinnamon and nutmeg give it a rich, exotic flavor. Every time I bust this one out at a dinner, the guests want the recipe. Continuing the Greek theme, the salad is full of fresh flavors with a little touch of honey to sweeten the deal. You can finish up with some baklava, but I prefer the apples and walnuts over ice cream.
On the board tonight:
- Pasticcio
- Salata Meze
- Chopped Apples w/honey & walnuts over ice cream

Courtesy of Delicious Magazine UK
Pasticcio
- 7 oz dry ziti
- 3/4 lb lean ground beef
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 14 oz can diced tomatoes
- 1/2 to 1 tsp salt
- 6 oz grated parmesan/Romano mix
- 1/8 tsp cinnamon
- 1 1/4 cup milk
- 2 tbsp butter, melted
- 2 eggs
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
saucepan & skillet
8×8 glass baking dish, greased
Cook ziti according to package directions, drain well. Sauté onions, add beef and cook until beef is browned. Stir in tomatoes & salt. Layer 1/2 ziti in baking dish; add beef mixture and then 1/2 of the cheese, sprinkle cinnamon over cheese. Add remaining ziti. Beat eggs, milk & butter together. Pour over ziti mixture, top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes, until center is set. Sprinkle with nutmeg.
Salata Meze
- 8 oz green beans
- 2 small zucchini sliced
- 8 oz cauliflower crowns
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp honey
- 1/2 tsp oregano, crushed
- 1/2 tsp crushed garlic
- 1 red onion, sliced in rings
- 6-12 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- lettuce leaves
- 2 oz whole black olives
- 2 oz crumbled feta cheese
saucepan & serving bowl
Add beans, cauliflower and zucchini to water in saucepan, bring to a boil. Simmer on med-low for 3-5 minutes until vegetables are tender-crisp. Rinse with ice water & drain well. Mix oil, lemon, honey & spices and toss with vegetables, including onions & tomatoes. Layer lettuce leaves in serving bowl, top with vegetable mixture. Garnish with olives and feta.
Chopped Apples w/honey & walnuts
- 2 apples, finely chopped
- ¼ cup honey (more as needed)
- ¼ cup chopped walnuts
- Dash of lemon juice
Add chopped apples, honey, lemon juice and walnuts to saucepan and heat until honey is melted and coats everything. Let simmer until apples are tender. Serve warm over ice cream.
Shopping List:
- 7 oz ziti
- 3/4 lb lean ground beef
- 1 yellow onion
- 14 oz can diced tomatoes
- 6 oz fresh grated parmesan/Romano mix
- 1 ¼ cup milk
- 2 eggs
- 8 oz green beans
- 2 small zucchini
- 8 oz cauliflower crowns
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/3 cup lemon juice
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp honey
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp crushed garlic
- 1 red onion
- 6-12 cherry tomatoes
- 1 small head bib lettuce
- 2 oz whole black olives
- 2 oz crumbled feta cheese
- Vanilla ice cream
- 2 apples
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
Also: cinnamon, nutmeg, butter, salt
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Loved the Pasticcio! It tasted great; although next time I think I will whisk in a bunch of cheese into a bechemel and pour it on top and then mix some panko in with the cheese I sprinkle on top for a nice crispy topping.
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@beergoggles…..ooo, panko, I love panko and I think you are right it would be a great addition. Glad to hear the pasticcio was a success. Thanks for sharing that.
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Thanks for the recipe – that looks easy enough to make for dinner instead of having to do two sauces, etc., as for moussaka.
But I think it’s commonly spelled “Pastitzio.” The two “c’s” make it sound like it’s Italian. *g*
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icanstay – thanks for the comment. I don’t know about the pastitizio, I’ve only known it as pasticcio, which was a fave item at a greek restaurant outside Boston. So that’s what I went with. But since you mentioned it, I had to look up the word, which is Italian in origin and I absolutely love the literal definition of the word: A work or style produced by borrowing fragments, ingredients, or motifs from various sources; a potpourri.
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