This pasticho recipe involves us through New York Mets rookie Francisco Álvarez, a head-turning catcher from Venezuela who grew up consuming the comforting casserole. Reflecting the waves of Italian immigration and their influence on Venezuelan delicacies, pasticho (to not be confused with Greek pastitsio) is a riff on lasagna that native cooks amp up with cumin and sliced ham.
Featured in “The Sudden Dish That Brings the Mets Rookies Collectively,” by Josh Cohen.
Yield: 6–8
Time: 3 hours
- 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups complete milk
- Kosher salt
- ½ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. vegetable oil, divided
- 2 lb. floor beef
- 3 Tbsp. tomato paste
- 2 Tbsp. dried oregano
- 2 tsp. floor cumin
- 2 tsp. garlic powder
- 2 tsp. onion powder
- ¼ tsp. floor black pepper
- One 28-oz. can complete peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand
- 1 lb. dried lasagna noodles
- 1 cup packed torn basil leaves
- 1 lb. thinly sliced deli ham
- 12 oz. recent mozzarella, torn into bite-size items
- 3 Tbsp. finely grated parmesan
Directions
- Make the béchamel: In a big pot set over medium warmth, soften the butter. Add the flour and prepare dinner, whisking incessantly, till golden and frothy, 2–3 minutes. Whereas whisking, slowly add the milk and convey to a boil. Flip the warmth to medium-low and simmer, whisking incessantly, till thickened, 10–12 minutes. Stir in 2 teaspoons of salt and the nutmeg, then scrape right into a bowl and canopy the floor with plastic wrap. Put aside to chill. (Alternatively, refrigerate for as much as 48 hours.) Wash and dry the pot and return it to the range.
- Make the meat sauce: To the empty pot, add 1 tablespoon of the oil and switch the warmth to excessive. When it’s sizzling and shimmering, add the bottom beef and use a spatula to press right into a single layer. Cook dinner undisturbed till browned on the underside, 1–2 minutes. Add the tomato paste, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper and prepare dinner, stirring constantly to interrupt up the meat, till the tomato paste begins to brown, 2–3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, 2 cups of water, and 1 tablespoon of salt and convey to a boil, scraping the underside of the pot. Flip the warmth to low and simmer, stirring sometimes, till almost all of the liquid has evaporated, about 1 hour. (The sauce will hold, refrigerated, for as much as 4 days.)
- Fill a big pot with generously salted water and convey to a boil. Add the lasagna noodles and prepare dinner till al dente, based on the package deal directions. Drain, then return them to the pot. Add the remaining teaspoon of oil and toss to coat.
- Place a rack within the middle of the oven and preheat to 375ºF. On the underside of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, unfold 2 tablespoons of the meat sauce. Lay sufficient lasagna noodles to make a single layer, then unfold evenly with one-third of the meat sauce, adopted by one-third of the béchamel. Sprinkle with one-third of the basil, then high with one-third of the ham (in a single skinny layer). Add one other layer of lasagna noodles, adopted by one other third of the meat sauce, the entire recent mozzarella, one other third of the basil, and one other third of the ham. High with one other layer of pasta, the remaining meat sauce, one other third of the béchamel, the remaining basil, and the remaining ham. Add one other layer of pasta, then unfold evenly with the remaining béchamel and sprinkle with the parmesan.
- Place the pan on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet and bake till the perimeters start to brown, 35–40 minutes. Flip the warmth to 500ºF and prepare dinner till browned throughout, 10–quarter-hour extra. Cool for no less than 20 minutes earlier than serving.
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