Pasticho - Venezuelan Lasagna

Have you always thought that lasagna is an exceptionally Italian thing? Well, you were wrong. This Venezuelan lasagna (Pasticho) is creamy, cheesy, and surely not worse than her Italian cousin. Maybe even better?

This time my kitchen is filled with Venezuelan aroma. Yes, today we are heading to the northern coast of South America! To the country which is known for its oil industry, beautiful women (Venezuela has more beauty pageant winners than any other country in the world), spectacular landscapes (the tallest waterfall in the world, called Angel Falls, is there) and many other great things. However, we are all about food in this blog, right? Venezuela has something to offer here too. Let me present you a Venezuelan-style lasagna, called Pasticho.

First of all few words about Venezuelan cuisine. It is strongly influenced by European (Italian, French, Spanish) food. Especially Italian. The International Pasta Association ranks Venezuela as the world's second-biggest consumer of pasta behind Italy. That's why there is no wonder people of this country love lasagna too! When you will look at the recipe, you'll notice few differences between the Italian and Venezuelan versions of this dish. Venezuelans adapted it to their regional taste.

Pasticho is highly popular in Venezuela. No family gathering is complete without it. And as it always happens with traditional dishes, every family has its own recipe. I really hope that my version retains all the traditions!

This Venezuelan lasagna is creamy, meaty and cheesy. What else could you possibly need? I love how layers of red sauce and béchamel interact with each other. Heavenly! Of course, Pasticho is not the best choice for those of you who are on calorie watch, ha. Well, what you expected from comfort food? You can all envy me, because I am going to stuff a big piece of this goodness in my face right now!

A little tip: once you pull Pasticho out of the oven, let it rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing it. It will prevent lasagna from falling apart and help the layers to stay in tact.

Pasticho: Venezuelan-Style Lasagna

CookingTheGlobe

This meaty, creamy, and cheesy Venezuelan version of the famous Italian dish is a must try for all pasta lovers!

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 45 minutes mins

Cuisine Venezuelan

Servings 8 people

Calories 809 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

For the meat sauce:

• 2 tablespoons Olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lb (450g) ground beef
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 27 oz (800ml) can whole peeled tomatoes
• 1 6 oz (170g) can tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• ½ cup beef stock
• salt and pepper to taste

For the bechamel sauce:

• ½ cup (110g) butter
• ½ cup (65g) flour
• 4 ½ cups milk
• salt and pepper to taste
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

For the lasagna assembly:

• 1 lb (450g) no boil lasagna noodles
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 10 oz (280g) Mozzarella cheese, grated

Instructions

 

• The red sauce. Heat olive oil in a large skillet or a saucepan. Add onion and garlic and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add beef, soy and Worcestershire sauces, and cook, stirring, until beef is well browned. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, basil, bay leaf, sugar, stock and simmer over low heat, until sauce thickens, about 30-45 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. In the meantime, make the bechamel sauce.
• The bechamel sauce. Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over low heat. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring continuously, until the mixture is bubbly, for about 2-3 minutes. Don't allow the mixture to brown. Add the milk, gradually, and cook over medium heat, stirring continuously, until the sauce thickens and is smooth. Add nutmeg and Parmesan cheese, and stir until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• The lasagna assembly. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Spread a thin layer of bechamel sauce in a 9 x 13 baking dish and cover with a first layer of lasagna noodles. Cover with ⅓ of the meat sauce. Add another layer of lasagna noodles. Spread a thicker layer of bechamel sauce (about 1 cup) and sprinkle ⅓ of mozzarella cheese and few tablespoons of Parmesan cheese. Cover with a layer of lasagna noodles. Add another ⅓ of the meat sauce and once more cover with lasagna noodles. Add another layer of bechamel and cheeses. Cover with lasagna noodles and spread the last ⅓ of the meat sauce. Top with a final layer of noodles, spreading the remaining bechamel sauce and sprinkling the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses over the top.
• Cover with foil and bake, covered, for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake until cheese is melted. Enjoy!

Notes

Adapted from "Classic Venezuelan Recipes" by Jose De Silva

Nutrition

Calories: 809kcal

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