Moussaka

Pane-Bistecca

Moussaka is a wonderful Greek delicacy that I really love! Eggplant layered with meat sauce and creamy béchamel sauce—what a delicious dish!

I remember my first visit to Greece, many years ago in 1979, when I tried this dish for the first time. It reminded me of melanzane parmigiana, but creamier thanks to the béchamel topping.

Back then, we drove across the border from Bulgaria into Greece in my sports car. It was a very adventurous trip, through Austria, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, and then back through Italy.

Back then, people didn’t travel as much as they do today, and we didn’t have cell phones, so it’s clear that our parents weren’t thrilled and were worried about us. On top of that, you still needed an entry visa for most countries and had to enter on the exact date specified and leave on the specified date as well.

There were still mandatory currency exchanges in Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria, but since we were traveling with our tent, it was hard to spend the money. On the last evening in each country, we’d go to the most expensive restaurant so we could get rid of the money. Everything worked out wonderfully, and we had so many experiences.

Since then, I’ve eaten moussaka very often ordering it at restaurants, but also cooking it myself. It’s not difficult to make, but it does take some time. It’s best to make a large batch and freeze the rest, so you don’t have to put in much effort the next time!

Prep time

15 min

Cooking time

1 h 20 min

Portions

Total time

1 h 35 min

Ingredients

2-3 large Aubergines
500 g ground Beef
1 Onion, chopped
3 Garlic cloves, chopped
400 g chopped Pelati Tomatoes from the can
3 tbsp Tomato Paste
½ tsp Cinnamon
Salt and Pepper
Chili
Paprika
Olive Oil

Béchamel Sauce:

50 g Butter
50 g Flour
350 ml Milk
some Nutmeg
Pepper
1 Egg
30 g grated Parmesan

Instructions

Step 1

Slice the eggplants thinly and fry them well in oil. Drain and set aside. (you can also roast them in the oven)

Step 2

Sauté the onion and garlic cloves in a little olive oil, then add the meat and brown well.

Step 3

Season, then add the tomatoes and tomato puree; mix well and simmer for 30 minutes. (If you have ready-made Bolognese sauce in the freezer, you can use that.)

Step 4

For the béchamel sauce, melt the butter in a small saucepan, then add the flour. Whisk until it forms a lump, then add the milk. Season to taste. As soon as the sauce thickens, remove from the heat and stir in the Parmesan and the egg.

Step 5

Grease an ovenproof dish and layer the eggplant and meat sauce alternately. Finally, pour the béchamel sauce over the top. Bake in the oven at 180°C for 40 minutes. Then let rest for 5 minutes to easier cut it.

Notes

Moussaka is great for preparing in advance, as it keeps in the refrigerator for at least 2 days or can be frozen.
Boiled potato slices are often added to the layers as well—they taste great, too!
Here is, for comparison, the Parmigiana di Melanzane! and Parmigiana with Maet!