Pastitsada is one of those dishes that show how time itself is an ingredient. Poultry cooked slowly in a sauce that comes together with patience — cinnamon, cloves, red tomato — and a simple pasta that holds the sauce in every forkful.
The recipe is flexible: when rooster is hard to find, a good free-range chicken works just as well. The secret stays the same — a low flame and a sauce that thickens at the end.
Ingredients
- 011 rooster, about 2 kg, cut into portions (or 1 free-range chicken)
- 02500 g thick pasta (short cut or thick spaghetti)
- 032 large onions, grated
- 043 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 05500 g grated tomatoes
- 06150 ml red wine
- 071 cinnamon stick
- 083 cloves
- 092 bay leaves
- 101 tsp sweet paprika
- 11A pinch of sugar
- 12120 ml olive oil
- 13Salt, freshly ground pepper
- 14Kefalotyri or graviera, grated, to serve
Method
- 01Heat the olive oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat and brown the rooster pieces on all sides. Remove and set aside.
- 02In the same oil, sauté the onion until glossy, 8–10 minutes, then add the garlic for 1 minute.
- 03Deglaze with the wine and let the alcohol evaporate for 2 minutes.
- 04Return the meat to the pot. Add the tomatoes, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves, paprika, sugar, salt and pepper.
- 05Lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 1½–2 hours, until the meat is tender and the sauce has thickened. Add a little hot water if needed.
- 06Boil the pasta in salted water until al dente and toss it with some of the sauce.
- 07Serve the pasta topped with the meat, dressed with the sauce and plenty of grated cheese.
The secret: give the sauce time at the end — the last 15 minutes uncovered concentrate the flavour.
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