-
1
Cook the Beef and Tomato Sauce
20 Mins
Medium-high heat, about 180°C (350°F)
Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Fry the onion for 3 minutes until soft, then add the ground beef, breaking it up with a spoon, and cook for 8 minutes until browned all over. Stir in the garlic, oregano, black pepper and half the salt, fry for 1 minute, then pour in the tomato sauce, lower the heat and simmer for 8 minutes until the sauce is thick and rich.
Simmer the sauce until it is thick — a watery sauce makes the pasticho slide apart.
Done when: The beef is browned and the sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon.
-
2
Make the Béchamel
12 Mins
Medium heat, about 170°C (340°F)
While the meat sauce simmers, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring all the time, until it smells nutty and turns pale gold. Gradually whisk in the warm milk, a little at a time, until the sauce is smooth, then cook for 6 minutes until it coats the back of a spoon. Stir in the nutmeg and the rest of the salt.
Add the milk slowly and whisk without stopping — that is how the béchamel stays lump-free.
Done when: The béchamel is smooth and thick enough to coat a spoon, with no lumps.
-
3
Boil the Pasta Sheets
10 Mins
Boiling water, 100°C (212°F)
Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook the lasagne sheets in batches for about 8 minutes, until just pliable but still firm. Lift them out with tongs and lay them flat on a clean tea towel so they do not stick together.
Lay the sheets flat and apart — stacked sheets glue themselves together in seconds.
Done when: The sheets are pliable enough to bend without snapping, but still firm.
-
4
Layer the Pasticho
15 Mins
No heat
Heat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Spread a thin layer of béchamel in a greased 23 x 33 cm baking dish, then build the layers: pasta, half the meat sauce, pasta, half the béchamel, half the ham and a third of the mozzarella and Parmesan. Repeat with the remaining meat sauce, béchamel, ham and cheeses, then finish with a final layer of pasta, the rest of the béchamel and the remaining cheeses on top.
Keep the layers even — thick in the middle and thin at the edges is how a pasticho slides.
Done when: The dish is full to just below the rim, with a neat layer of cheese on top.
-
5
Bake Until Golden
35 Mins
180°C (350°F)
Cover the dish loosely with foil and bake for 25 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for 10 minutes more, until the top is golden and bubbling and the sauce is hot all the way through. The beef inside must reach 71°C (160°F).
The foil keeps the top from drying out while the middle heats through.
Done when: The top is golden brown and bubbling at the edges; the centre is steaming hot.
-
6
Rest and Serve in Squares
10 Mins
No heat
Take the pasticho out of the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes so the layers set — cut it hot and it falls apart. Cut into 6 squares with a sharp knife, wiping the blade between cuts, and serve with a green salad.
Resting is not optional: it is what lets the squares hold their shape on the plate.
Done when: Each square holds its layers when lifted, with melted cheese and ham visible at the cut edge.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Serve the squares hot, with the layers holding together and the top still golden. A green salad and garlic bread are all it needs — the pasticho is the whole meal.
Venezuela
3h
