Greek Food, Cooking and Recipe Community

Do you put tomato sauce in your pastitsio?

1 - 5 of 5 Posts
M

mastichas09

Active member
I recently had a pastitsio that I thought was delicious, so I asked for the recipe.

I was surprised that there was some tomato sauce in it! My family never did that.

So, I made it according to the recipe, and I loved it - but I am still not 100% sure if I would have liked it better without the tomato sauce (the way my family makes it).

I am curious - how do you guys feel about putting tomato sauce in your pastitsio?
 
Was the tomato sauce on the pasta or just in the meat? I use a small can of tomato paste in the meat, and a bit of cinnamon, but no tomato sauce on pasta.

There are regional variations in just about all Greek cooking. If you enjoy it with tomato sauce, than do it. If you prefer it without, do it that way. The whole purpose of food is for you and your family to enjoy it. LOL.

I assure you no matter how you make it there will be no "pastitsio police" showing up at your door. Enjoy it the way you all like it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: mastichas09
We cook the ground beef in the tomato sauce, but when we are in our village we make our village's version of pastitsio which is completely different than what you'd get in the rest of Greece... it has no ground beef in it or tomato sauce
 
  • Like
Reactions: mastichas09
ellinasgolfer0320 said:
We cook the ground beef in the tomato sauce, but when we are in our village we make our village's version of pastitsio which is completely different than what you'd get in the rest of Greece... it has no ground beef in it or tomato sauce
Click to expand...
How is it different? I am intrigued!
 
Luana said:
Was the tomato sauce on the pasta or just in the meat? I use a small can of tomato paste in the meat, and a bit of cinnamon, but no tomato sauce on pasta.

There are regional variations in just about all Greek cooking. If you enjoy it with tomato sauce, than do it. If you prefer it without, do it that way. The whole purpose of food is for you and your family to enjoy it. LOL.

I assure you no matter how you make it there will be no "pastitsio police" showing up at your door. Enjoy it the way you all like it.
Click to expand...
The tomato paste was in the ground meat and there was a little bit of cinnamon flavor in it! I love that you said there will be no pastitsio police hahaha. That hit home, because I have been paranoid that a family member would find out I changed the family recipe a little bit and then yell at me LOL.
 
1 - 5 of 5 Posts
You must log in or register to reply here.

JOIN THE DISCUSSION AND READ OTHER GREEK INFO:

How does your family season dolmades?

I’ve been thinking about how much dolmades can vary from one family to another, especially when it comes to seasoning. Even when the basic ingredients are similar, the flavor can be completely different depending on which herbs and spices are used.

How does your family season dolmades? Do you use mostly dill and parsley, or do you add mint as well? I’ve also seen recipes that include green onions, oregano, or even a little cinnamon, especially when meat is part of the filling.

I’m curious whether you season the rice mixture pretty heavily before rolling the grape leaves or keep it simple and let the lemon and olive oil provide most of the flavor. Does your family add lemon juice directly to the filling, or only during cooking and serving?

I’d especially love to hear about any regional or family traditions. What gives your dolmades their distinctive flavor?

What is the secret to making really good Greek lemon potatoes?

I've been making Greek lemon potatoes for years, and it's one of those dishes I make completely by feel. I don't measure anything, and I never really thought about how I make them because it's all second nature to me.

Recently, I tried teaching someone how to make them. Everything seemed straightforward while we were cooking together, but when they went home and tried making them on their own, all kinds of things went wrong! The potatoes weren't cooking evenly, the texture wasn't quite right, and the lemon flavor didn't come through the way it should.

It made me realize how much I rely on instinct when cooking traditional Greek food. I rarely write down recipes, so explaining every little detail is harder than I expected!

For those who make Greek lemon potatoes regularly, what tips would you give someone who's just learning?

Do You Put Cinnamon in Your Keftedes?

I’m curious how everyone here makes keftedes, especially when it comes to cinnamon. I know some Greek families add a little cinnamon to the meat mixture, while others would never think of putting it in.

In my experience, even a small amount can change the flavor quite a bit. It gives the keftedes a warmer, slightly sweeter spice in the background, but I can also see how it might not be for everyone. I’ve had versions that lean more heavily on oregano, mint, parsley, garlic, and onion instead.

Do you put cinnamon in your keftedes? If you do, how much do you usually use, and was that something your family always did? I’d also be curious to know if it varies depending on what part of Greece your family comes from.

Would love to hear how everyone seasons theirs and what you consider essential for really good keftedes.

Do You Make Avgolemono Thick or Brothy?

I usually prefer avgolemono somewhere in the middle. I don’t like it so thick that it feels almost like a cream soup, but I also don’t want it completely thin and brothy. For me, the best version has enough egg and lemon to give the broth some body while still keeping it light.

A lot probably depends on what kind of avgolemono you’re making, too. In chicken soup, I like it a little more brothy because I want the rice or orzo and chicken to still stand out. With something like lahanodolmades, I don’t mind the avgolemono sauce being thicker because it is coating the food rather than serving as the soup itself.

The lemon level matters just as much as the thickness. I like enough lemon to make it bright and noticeable, but not so much that it overwhelms everything else. I think balance is really the key.

Favorite Greek Cheeses Beyond Feta

Feta gets most of the attention when people talk about Greek cheese, but there are so many other varieties worth trying. I’m curious which Greek cheeses everyone enjoys most beyond feta.

Graviera is one of my favorites because it works so well on a cheese plate, grated over dishes, or just eaten with bread. Kasseri is another one I really like, especially melted. I’ve also been interested in trying more regional cheeses like metsovone, manouri, kefalotyri, and formaela.

Some Greek cheeses seem to be much easier to find outside Greece than others, so I’d also love to know which ones people regularly buy and where they usually find them.

What Greek cheeses do you keep coming back to? Are there certain ones you associate with a particular region, dish, or family tradition? And if someone has mostly eaten feta, which Greek cheese would you recommend they try next?
Sign up for a free account and share your thoughts, photos, questions about Greek food, travel and culture!

WorldwideGreeks.com is a free online forum community where people can discuss Greek food, travel, traditions, history and mythology.
Join Worldwide Greeks here!

JOIN COMMUNITY FOR FREE

LOGIN TO YOUR ACCOUNT
Back
Top