Cookingdom Level 45: Pastitsio

Strategy Guide

Step 1: Prepare the Ingredients

• Plug the sink stopper and fill the sink with water. Toss the tomatoes in to soak.
• Place the beef on the cutting board, cut it into small chunks, and feed them into the meat grinder.
• While grinding the beef, remove the tomatoes from the sink and place them on the board. Toss the onions into the water to rinse.
• Peel the tomatoes with a knife and place them into a bowl. Use a spoon to mash them into a sauce.
• Remove the onions, slice them thinly, and move them to a plate. Chop fresh cilantro from the sink, place it on the board, and dice it finely.
• Flatten the garlic with the side of a knife, peel, and mince it into tiny pieces. Set aside.
• Don’t forget — turn off the faucet and remove the sink stopper to drain the water, or this step won’t complete!

Step 2: Cook the Beef Sauce

• Turn on the stove and heat oil in a pan. Once hot, add the ground beef.
• Use a spoon to flatten the beef evenly, then add minced garlic, mashed tomatoes, and onion slices.
• Pour in red wine and add a bay leaf.
• Snip a basil leaf into the pot, then sprinkle in black pepper and sugar.
• Let it simmer for a few minutes — the sauce is done!

Step 3: Make the Dough

• Heat a pan on the stove and melt a cube of butter using a spatula.
• Gradually pour in milk, add flour, a large cube of butter, and an egg.
• Sprinkle in salt and mix everything thoroughly with the spatula until it forms a dough.
• Season with salt and black pepper, then mix again until smooth.

Step 4: Cook the Pasta

• Boil water in a pot. Use scissors to open the pasta package and discard it.
• Drop the pasta into the boiling water. Once softened, snip some basil leaves into fine bits.
• Transfer the cooked pasta to the square baking tray below.
• Add an egg, oil, butter, and mix well with a spatula. Finish by sprinkling the chopped basil on top.

Step 5: Assemble the Pastitsio

• Pour the prepared beef sauce evenly over the pasta in the baking tray.
• Add the dough mixture on top, then sprinkle shredded cheese generously.
• Place the tray in the oven, turn on the heat, and bake until golden.
• Take it out, move it onto a board, and cut it into four squares. Serve one slice on a plate.
• Garnish with thyme leaves and olives. Drizzle with mayonnaise and pour wine into a glass.
• Done! You’ve cleared this Pastitsio challenge perfectly!