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Seafood Pastitsio a Dish to Dine For

Seafood Pastitsio a Dish to Dine For

Hilltop House’s Signature Seafood Pastitsio

Chef Joseph Zamora has a special place in his heart for this dish. “I created it myself… [it is] my own invention!”

There is no doubt that Hilltop House’s signature seafood pastitsio is something to be proud of. Stuffed full of fresh Pacific seafood including dungeoness crab, prawns, bay scallops, shrimp, cod, calamari and long-necked clam, this stunning pasta dish represents a wonderful marriage between Greek cuisine and Northwest ingenuity.

Pastitsio originated in Italy as pasticcio, a type of flaky-crusted meat pie filled with béchamel sauce. In Italian, pasticcio translates roughly as “a big mess,” thanks to the fact that meat pies were traditionally where all the leftovers ended up. The Greeks adopted and refined this same basic formula, substituting tomato sauce for béchamel and circular pasta such as bucatini bound with egg for the crust. Hilltop House builds upon this formula in the Greek tradition, blending the traditional pastitsio with the flavors of the Oregon coast.

Satisfying the Demand for the Best Seafood

“This used to be a seasonal item, but people kept ordering it so we finally put it on the menu full-time,” Zamora reveals, obviously proud of his creation. It is not hard to see why. Hilltop House’s seafood pastitsio uses lasagna noodles in the place of tubular bucatini, seafood in the place of beef, and mornay sauce in the place of tomato sauce. It recalls the Mediterranean paella, if the traditional paella  were packed into a perfectly prepared lasagna and smothered with melted cheese.

The mornay sauce is particularly important, emphasis the multifaceted heritage of the seafood pastitsio. Like all mornay sauces, this one starts its life as creamy white béchamel sauce. Through the addition of grated cheese, it is transformed into traditional morney. But Chef Joseph doesn’t stop there. He adds the taste of marinara, a call back to the original Greek pastitsio recipe.

The subtle acidity of the added marinara helps cut through the mornay’s richness. Of course, it is not the star of the show. That honor goes to the fantastic array of seafood present in Chef Joseph’s creation. Though Hilltop House is best known for its award-winning steaks, Chef Joseph’s affinity for and facility with seafood cannot be ignored. Of course, on the Oregon Coast you have to expect as much.

This is why Hilltop House packs this pastitsio full of hand-picked Pacific dungeoness crab, prawns, bay scallops, shrimp, cod, calamari and long-necked clam. All these seafood favorites combine with the morney sauce and delicious cheese to create and unforgettable meal.

Coos Bay’s Hidden Jewel

Luckily for all the hungry folks on the Oregon Coast, Hilltop House delivers the excellent seafood pastitsio, served alongside your choice of soup, salad, or Hilltop House’s renowned straight neck squash served with sautéed red peppers and fresh basil. This featured dish is sure to impress anyone looking for a dish that captures what’s best about the Oregon coast: traditional techniques, delicious fresh seafood, and imaginative recipes. If you are in the Coos Bay, Oregon area, stop by Hilltop House for the seafood pastitsio or any one of our other award-winning dishes. See you there!

Hilltop House’s Signature Seafood Pastitsio

Chef Joseph Zamora has a special place in his heart for this dish. “I created it myself… [it is] my own invention!”

There is no doubt that Hilltop House’s signature seafood pastitsio is something to be proud of. Stuffed full of fresh Pacific seafood including dungeoness crab, prawns, bay scallops, shrimp, cod, calamari and long-necked clam, this stunning pasta dish represents a wonderful marriage between Greek cuisine and Northwest ingenuity.

Pastitsio originated in Italy as pasticcio, a type of flaky-crusted meat pie filled with béchamel sauce. In Italian, pasticcio translates roughly as “a big mess,” thanks to the fact that meat pies were traditionally where all the leftovers ended up. The Greeks adopted and refined this same basic formula, substituting tomato sauce for béchamel and circular pasta such as bucatini bound with egg for the crust. Hilltop House builds upon this formula in the Greek tradition, blending the traditional pastitsio with the flavors of the Oregon coast.

Satisfying the Demand for the Best Seafood

“This used to be a seasonal item, but people kept ordering it so we finally put it on the menu full-time,” Zamora reveals, obviously proud of his creation. It is not hard to see why. Hilltop House’s seafood pastitsio uses lasagna noodles in the place of tubular bucatini, seafood in the place of beef, and mornay sauce in the place of tomato sauce. It recalls the Mediterranean paella, if the traditional paella  were packed into a perfectly prepared lasagna and smothered with melted cheese.

The mornay sauce is particularly important, emphasis the multifaceted heritage of the seafood pastitsio. Like all mornay sauces, this one starts its life as creamy white béchamel sauce. Through the addition of grated cheese, it is transformed into traditional morney. But Chef Joseph doesn’t stop there. He adds the taste of marinara, a call back to the original Greek pastitsio recipe.

The subtle acidity of the added marinara helps cut through the mornay’s richness. Of course, it is not the star of the show. That honor goes to the fantastic array of seafood present in Chef Joseph’s creation. Though Hilltop House is best known for its award-winning steaks, Chef Joseph’s affinity for and facility with seafood cannot be ignored. Of course, on the Oregon Coast you have to expect as much.

This is why Hilltop House packs this pastitsio full of hand-picked Pacific dungeoness crab, prawns, bay scallops, shrimp, cod, calamari and long-necked clam. All these seafood favorites combine with the morney sauce and delicious cheese to create and unforgettable meal.

Coos Bay’s Hidden Jewel

Luckily for all the hungry folks on the Oregon Coast, Hilltop House delivers the excellent seafood pastitsio, served alongside your choice of soup, salad, or Hilltop House’s renowned straight neck squash served with sautéed red peppers and fresh basil. This featured dish is sure to impress anyone looking for a dish that captures what’s best about the Oregon coast: traditional techniques, delicious fresh seafood, and imaginative recipes.

If you are in the Coos Bay, Oregon area, stop by Hilltop House for the seafood pastitsio or any one of our other award-winning dishes. See you there!

Call Hilltop House Restaurant & Lounge at 541-756-4160 to book a reservation, or browse the rest of our website for more information on lounge dining.

Old and funky building…very 60s! But the food was excellent! Had the cod with mango curry sauce, it was soo good, and the grilled pineapple was to die for! Will stop again if I go back that way!!

This is probably my favorite place to eat in Coos Bay/North Bend. The stuffed mushroom appetizer is worth the wait as it takes a bit of time to prepare. The dinner salads are beautiful as well as being delicious. I have never ordered anything here that I’ve been unhappy with

If you have not eaten here you are missing out on a wonderful delight. For your first trip go for an early dinner, the view is wonderful. My family has been here on multiple occasions and we have never ordered anything we did not enjoy. It is casual dining with upscale quality.

This is our go to for great food and good drinks. Whether sitting at the bar and enjoying awesome appetizers or in the restaurant with a beautiful view of the bay, you can’t go wrong.

I had a steak that simply melted in my mouth. The service was awesome and the atmosphere amazing. It was quiet, the food excellent, and it all comes with a view of the bay(free).. You definitely get what you pay for at the Hilltop.

My wife and I have been going to this restaurant for years but the last meal we had there was most excellent. She had scallops for the first time there and I had fried calamari that was the best I had ever eaten. The view, as always, is gorgeous, and on a previous visit we watched an osprey

Old and funky building…very 60s! But the food was excellent! Had the cod with mango curry sauce, it was soo good, and the grilled pineapple was to die for! Will stop again if I go back that way!!

This is probably my favorite place to eat in Coos Bay/North Bend. The stuffed mushroom appetizer is worth the wait as it takes a bit of time to prepare. The dinner salads are beautiful as well as being delicious. I have never ordered anything here that I’ve been unhappy with

If you have not eaten here you are missing out on a wonderful delight. For your first trip go for an early dinner, the view is wonderful. My family has been here on multiple occasions and we have never ordered anything we did not enjoy. It is casual dining with upscale quality.

This is our go to for great food and good drinks. Whether sitting at the bar and enjoying awesome appetizers or in the restaurant with a beautiful view of the bay, you can’t go wrong.

I had a steak that simply melted in my mouth. The service was awesome and the atmosphere amazing. It was quiet, the food excellent, and it all comes with a view of the bay(free).. You definitely get what you pay for at the Hilltop.

My wife and I have been going to this restaurant for years but the last meal we had there was most excellent. She had scallops for the first time there and I had fried calamari that was the best I had ever eaten. The view, as always, is gorgeous, and on a previous visit we watched an osprey

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