Mamma mia, what is this Greek cousin doing in my kitchen? But tesoro, when you taste this makaronia phournista, you understand why we Italians and Greeks, we fight over who makes better pasta. The orange and cinnamon in the sauce — this is something my late husband would call 'interesting.' I show you how to make it proper.
Metti the oven to 175°C. Boil big pot of water with plenty of salt and olive oil — the water must taste like the sea, tesoro.
Cook the macaroni until very ben cotta — more than al dente because it will bake more. Drain and set aside. (Greeks like their pasta more cooked than we Italians, but for this dish, it works)
In heavy pan, brown the beef with salt and pepper, breaking it up with wooden spoon. No lumps! Cook until all water is gone and meat is nice and dry.
Add the onion and garlic to the meat, cook until onion is golden. Pour in the wine, stir bene, cover and let it rest.
In another pan, melt butter and add tomato paste. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring sempre.
Add sugar, cinnamon, oregano, orange zest, orange juice, bay leaves, cloves, salt and pepper to the tomato paste. Stir tutto together.
Slowly add warm water to tomato mixture, stirring always. Simmer covered until sauce reduces by one-third.
Add the meat mixture to the tomato sauce, simmer covered until thick and rich. Taste and adjust seasoning — remove bay leaves.
In deep baking dish, make layers: pasta, meat sauce, kefalotiri. Repeat until finished, ending with sauce on top.
Cover entire top with kasseri cheese slices — every bit of sauce should be covered.
Bake until kasseri is melted and golden, about 25-30 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.
Caro, this is not Italian but my Greek neighbor Maria taught me and now even my grandchildren ask for it. The orange and cinnamon — molto strano but delizioso. Use good Greek cheeses if you can find them.
Save this recipe to your collection
Sign up free
Comments