I'm In Love With Gus and His Greek Pastichio!

I watched as Gus from the Marietta Diner in Georgia made his renowned Pastichio on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. I couldn’t get the glorious vision out of my head.

I fell in love…with Gus and his Pastichio!

I think it happened when Gus added copious amounts of fragrant nutmeg to his rich, velvety béchamel. Or was it the buttery-smooth beaten eggs? Or the generous amounts of salty Parmigiana cheese? Or the charming cinnamon & spice he added to the succulent, wine-flavored meat sauce? Or when he cut a tremendous slab of Pastichio to reveal a three-inch layer of béchamel sitting pretty on top of an equally thick layer of meaty macaroni? Or was it when Guy Fieri, the host of the show, insisted Gus repeat after him with his cute Greek accent “I’m going to drive the bus to flavor town.”

Or maybe it happened when I finally took my long-awaited first bite of Pastichio?!

Gus if you’re reading this you sure did drive the bus to flavor town and made a believer out of me. Not that I ever doubted you. All of my tastiest dreams came true. Except one. Will you marry me?

Gus’s Pastichio

(adapted from the Marietta Diner)

Meat Sauce:

1 tablespoon butter

1 pound ground beef, chuck

1 yellow onion, chopped finely

4 cloves garlic

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon dried oregano

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2 bay leaves

1 cinnamon stick

½ teaspoon sugar

1/2 cup white wine

1 can (14oz) diced tomatoes

1 small can tomato paste

Bechamel Sauce:

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup flour

4 cups milk

salt and pepper, to taste

¾ teaspoon nutmeg

1 cup Mozzarella, shredded

1/2 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese

3 eggs, beaten

Noodles:

1 lb. pasticcio/ziti (Di Martino Ziti Lunghi)

1 teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons butter

For assembling:

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

1 cup mozzarella, shredded

¼ cup of grated fresh Parmesan

2 eggs, beaten

For the Meat Sauce:

Heat butter in a large heavy-bottomed pan and saute the onions, garlic and meat until browned over medium heat (season with salt and pepper). Add the oregano, parsley, bay leaves, cinnamon, sugar, wine, tomatoes and tomato paste. Season with salt and pepper. Let simmer for a half hour to 45 minutes. Taste and reseason/add more spices if needed about halfway through and again toward the end. Remove from heat and let cool off.

For the Noodles:

In a large stockpot in a generous amount of salted water cook noodles to al dente. Drain, return to pan and stir in butter.

For the Bechamel:

Melt butter in heavy saucepan. Whisk in the flour and cook for two minutes. Add the salt, pepper and nutmeg. Whisk in the milk slowly and bring to a slow simmer, constantly whisking. Remove from heat and whisk in quickly the eggs and cheese. You can temper the eggs by whisking in a small amount of the béchamel first.

To Assemble the Pastichio:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter or baking spray a large deep pan. I used a 9x13 casserole with a sheet pan placed underneath it in the oven. Add a bit of the béchamel, enough to generously cover the bottom of the pan.

Strain the ground beef mixture, remove bay leaves and cinnamon stick. You can add your noodles to a giant bowl or mix right in the large pan that they were cooked in. Add the remaining 2 eggs, a ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, 1 cup of the béchamel and the strained beef mixture. Combine carefully; try not to break up the noodles.

Add the noodle mixture to the prepared pan. Layer the rest of the béchamel over the top. Then sprinkle with Mozzarella and Parmesan. My casserole dish was full right to the top and even a little bit above. But I had only one little drip over the side right at the end of baking. The béchamel firms up and stays in place as it cooks.

Bake at 350 for 1 hour. Let sit for five to ten minutes before serving.

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