Low Carb Spaghetti Squash Pastitsio is Greek food at its best. If you have never had Pastitsio (and most people have not) you are in for a real treat and the good news is, if you have never had it made with long tubular ziti (the pasta in the picture) then you have nothing to compare it with. Coupled with a Greek Salad and Creamy Feta Dressing you have a perfectly terrific all inclusive meal.
Obviously not a picture of my recipe. In the beginning of my lowcarb days I used to make this all the time but didn’t have a website so of course I didn’t any take pictures. You are just going to have to trust me on this and it is fantastic.
I have taken the basic recipe from http://www.sheepscreek.com/recipes/pastitsio.html for my own version of low carb spaghetti squash pastitsio and as far as I can tell this is the only authentic recipe on the internet. I replaced the pasta with spaghetti squash, and tweaked the sauces. Years ago, the first time I made this I followed the exact recipe using whole eggs in the thick sauce. What a disaster and really, I should have known. When you cook whole eggs, duh, they scramble. All was not lost as I just strained the sauce which worked beautifully and now of course I use just the yolks. Here is a little tutorial on Spaghetti Squash 101 just in case and the way it should be cut may just surprise you.
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- 1 Cup Heavy Cream
- 1 Egg Yolk
- 2 Cups Heavy Cream
- 4 Egg Yolks
- 1 Sm Spaghetti Squash (about 2 cups cooked)
- ¾ C Diced Onions
- ¾ lb Ground Lamb (you may use beef but it is not as good and not authentic)
- ½ t Cinnamon (or a little more if you like)
- ¼ t Salt
- ¼ t Pepper
- ¼ t Grated Nutmeg
- 1T Garlic Paste
- 1 Cn Diced Tomatoes
- 3 T Tomato Paste
- 1 t Dried Oregano
- 1C Bread Crumbs (I make bread crumbs from Carbalose Flour Bread) Totally optional, just traditional
- 1C Parmesan Cheese
- Gradually heat cream. Put egg yolk in small bowl, then briskly stir in ½ cup of heated cream. Keep stirring, add rest of cream and set aside without further heating.
- Heat cream several minutes but do not boil.
- Gradually add cream to beaten yolks (tempering the yolks) and put back on low heat, and using a whip constantly, stir until sauce has thickened. (About 3-4 minutes).
- Clean and cook spaghetti squash. Remove “spaghetti” and drain any liquids.
- Sauté diced onions and lamb. If you opt for ground lamb, do not drain the grease-it tastes great. If you opt for ground beef add 3 T butter. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, spices and seasonings. Simmer for 30 minutes, or until liquid has been mostly absorbed.
- Preheat Oven to 340° F.
- If Using, sprinkle bread crumbs into an 8”x8” inch baking pan. Place layer of spaghetti squash in the baking pan; then add half the thin cream sauce. Add meat mixture. Sprinkle with ½ cup grated cheese. Cover with remaining thin cream sauce. Spread thick cream sauce over the top and sprinkle it with remaining ½ cup cheese. Bake for 1 hour, or until golden brown and delicious. Let stand for 20 minutes to “set”, and then cut in portions (Note that you cannot cut the Pastitsio easily unless you let it stand for at least 20 minutes).
- Serves 6
- Counts include with/without crumbs made from Carbalose. I have included them in the recipe as they are authentic to the dish.
- 6 Servings/Bread Crumbs
- 757 Calories, 25.0g Protein, 66.7g Fat, 14.2g Carbs, 2.7g Fiber, 11.5 Net Carbs
- 6 Servings/Without Bread Crumbs
- 719 Calories, 21.0g Protein, 64.7g Fat, 13.2g Carbs, 2.1g Fiber, 11.1g Net Carbs
- Believe it or not this is a keto recipe at 79-81% fat.
- Dish can be prepared a day in advance, adding the thick cream sauce just before baking. If you decide to make this a two day affair bring it to room temperature before putting it in the oven.
- Leftovers can be portioned and frozen and when thawed it will “weep”. Can’t be helped and will not alter the flavor one bit.