RECIPE : MAKARONI LAATIKKO

makarooni laatikko, originally uploaded by tukrulovesyou.

it's been ages since i've posted a recipe. actually i don't think i have posted one since i swapped to blogger. shocking. i made makaroni laatikko (finnish pasta casserole) last night. i've only made it once before, and it was well nom. it's a bit of a finnish mama recipe. though funnily enough i prefered the version they served at my school to my own mother's, who after all was a professional cook (she's not dead, she's just retired.) though i have learned the significant difference between them is that my mother used milk while the dinnerladies used stock. also, neither used tin tomatoes & carrots, i just wanted to add a bit extra flavour. actually this is more or less my recipe! though i did check some random finnish cooking websites for the amount of pasta, egg & stock / milk.

MAKARONI LAATIKKO
serves 3-4

250g minced beef (or lamb)
1 (perferably red) onion, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2-3 carrots, grated
400g tin of tomatoes
dried herbs; parsley, basil & oregano
salt & pepper
150g pasta of your choice
200ml beef stock or milk
2 eggs

1. cook the pasta according to the packet, drain once cooked.
2. meanwhile brown the mince in a frying pan, in some oil if you want. once the mince is half way to fully browned, add onions & garlic and fry til softened
3. add carrots and tin tomatoes and simmer for 10-15 minutes 'til the sauce starts to thicken.
4. add a thin layer of the sauce in a lightly greased casserole dish. mix the rest of the sauce with the pasta and add in the dish.
5. beat the eggs in a cup, mix in the stock until even colour. pour the mixture over the pasta mixture in the dish. make sure it's all pretty even.
6. place in a oven preheated to 190C & cook for 30-45 minutes. check after half an hour to see if the egg mix has set. once it has and the dish is no longer watery, it is done.

serve with rocket or grated carrot salad. whatever you want!

i was going to make karelian pasties today, as i have everything you need for them already in the house, but i've got too much to do. maybe next sunday?