Pastitsada

Pastitsada
Alternative namesPastitsada Korfiatiki, Pastitsado
Region or stateCorfu
Associated cuisineGreece
Main ingredientsSpicy veal, beef or poultry and macaroni
Ingredients generally usedOlive oil, onions, garlic (though traditionally not used in this dish in Corfu), salt, black pepper, white wine, vinegar, cloves, bay leaf, cinnamon, tomatoes, butter, kefalotyri or Parmesan

Pastitsada (Greek: Παστιτσάδα) is a Greek dish consisting of pasta topped with meat braised in a spicy tomato-based sauce. Often associated with the island of Corfu, where it is a traditional Sunday dinner, it is sometimes called pastitsada Korfiatiki.[1]

The name comes from the Venetian pastizzada (standard Italian pasticciata) lit. 'something messed up',[2] which is used for a large variety of Italian braised meat dishes, generally served with polenta, mashed potatoes, or pasta.[3][4]

Pastitsada is based on veal, beef or poultry[5] cooked in fresh or canned tomatoes, olive oil, minced onions, garlic, salt, black pepper, white wine, vinegar, cloves, bay leaf, cinnamon, butter and served over pasta. It is usually topped with grated kefalotyri or Parmesan cheese.[1][6] The dish shows Italian influence.[6]

  1. ^ a b Vilma Chantiles, Food of Greece: Cooking, Folkways, and Travel in the Mainland and Islands of Greece (Simon & Schuster, 1992), p. 143.
  2. ^ Peter Minaki, "Pastitsada With Rooster", Kalofagas.ca
  3. ^ Waverly Root, The Food of Italy, 1971, ISBN 0394724291, p. 441
  4. ^ Touring Club Italiano, Guida Gastronomica d'Italia, Milano 1931 (reprinted 1956), p. 297
  5. ^ "How to Travel to the Greek Islands". Travel + Leisure. January 11, 2017. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  6. ^ a b Greek Islands (Lonely Planet, 2010), 6th ed., p. 60.