Għaġin Grieg
An old traditional Maltese recipe, Għaġin Grieg, which literally translates to Greek pasta, is a rich pasta made from a slow cooked mixture of pork mince sauce.
Ingredients
- 160 g ditalini pasta
- 300 g pork mince
- 100 g bacon minced
- 250 ml chicken stock
- 80 g butter
- 1 small white onion
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- 125 ml white wine optional
- 50 g grated kefalotiri/ parmeggiano reggiano / grana padano
Instructions
- In a large pot or dutch oven, melt the butter and cook the onion until translucent. Add the garlic and let cook for a minute. Here, you can use wine to deglaze the pot.
- To the pot, add the minced pork, bacon, and all the seasonings. Cook for about 15 minutes, whilst stirring it frequently making sure to break the mince into small pieces.
- Add the chicken stock and cover the pot. Let simmer on low heat for about 2 hours. Making sure to stir occasionally. Once the sauce is ready, the fats from the meats will rise, taste and season accordingly, if needed. Remove the bay leaves.
- When ready to serve, bring to boil a pot filled with water. Once it starts to boil, season with plenty of salt. Add the pasta and cook as instructed on the package or until al dente.
- As soon as the pasta is ready, add it to the meat sauce together with the grated cheese. Mix well and serve with some extra grated cheese and a sprinkle of fresh herbs.