Beef Pasticcio

by Healthy Food Guide
(New Zealand)

Beef pasticcio is a hearty meal for winter time, with organic beef and vegetables, and low fat feta cheese, for maximum taste.. All these textures and flavors combined, will dance in your mouth.

Pasticcio means mess, so you can literally add any vegetables or (low-fat) cheeses you have in your refrigerator! To make this an vegetarian dish omit the beef and add mushrooms instead.


Beef Pasticcio Ingredients:

• 300g (3 cups) macaroni

• Olive oil spray

• 1 onion, finely chopped

• 1 carrot, finely chopped

• 1 courgette, finely chopped

• 1 small red capsicum, seeded, finely chopped

• 350g lean beef mince

• 400g can tomato pasta sauce

• 250ml (1 cup) low-fat plain yoghurt

• 1 egg

• 40g crumbled low-fat feta

Instructions:

• Step 1 Preheat oven to 180ºC. Cook pasta following packet directions. Drain well.

• Step 2 Meanwhile, heat a large pan over a medium heat. Spray with oil. Add onion, carrot, courgette and capsicum. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 6-7 minutes, or until soft. Add mince. Cook, breaking mince up with a wooden spoon, for 5-6 minutes, or until browned. Add pasta sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes.

• Step 3 Add mince mixture to drained pasta and stir until well combined. With the back of a spoon, press pasta firmly into a 24cm-round springform tin sprayed with oil.

• Step 4 In a small bowl place yoghurt, egg and feta and whisk until well combined. Pour yoghurt mixture evenly over pasta to cover. Place in oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until top is golden. Remove and cool for 10 minutes. Remove from tin and cut in wedges.


*Make it gluten-free

Use gluten-free pasta, and ensure pasta sauce and yoghurt are gluten-free.

*Tip

Make ahead: assemble pasticcio and refrigerate until ready to cook. Or cook, cool and refrigerate or freeze – it tastes even better when reheated.

Nutrition Information: (per serve)

Energy 2260 kJ (545 Cals)

Protein 38g

Fat 12g
- saturated 6g

Carbohydrates 70g
- sugars 11g

Dietary Fibre 5g

Sodium 710mg

Calcium 220mg

Iron 5.5mg


*Here I'd like to tell you about my favorite diet program that uses a lot of the healthy lower GI foods: Isabel de los Rios' 'The Diet Solution Program'.

The Diet Solution Program favours a long term health orientated approach to fat loss, but not offering anyone a quick fix to their weight troubles. It has loads of valuable data and research to support its approach. I personally investigated the program thoroughly and my mum has been using it for a while now. I have to say she got some great results.

The nutrition plan is one of the healthiest we have seen, a strong core focus on vegetables, fruits, vitamin dense foods, lean proteins, select dairy produce and a clear approach to not expecting one diet to work for all body types. So give it a try and let me know how you’re doing.*

Original Beef Pasticcio Recipe