This Greek Pastitsio recipe has layers of pasta, spiced meat sauce, cheese and a rich and smooth béchamel sauce. This Greek pasta bake is comfort food at it’s finest!
Pasta dinners are loved by everyone at home and so easy to make. This Chicken Pesto Pasta is super creamy and loaded with flavor and this Pizza Pasta recipe is cheesy, tasty and made in a single pan.
Pastitsio is the Greek version of the traditional Italian lasagna. A delectable and satisfying meat and pasta casserole that bakes until golden brown. Pastitsio is a special family meal served on weekends, holidays and any time you need to feed a crowd.
This Pastitsio recipe is easy to make but it takes a little bit of effort. This is definitely not your typical 30 minute meal. Just like making lasagna, this Greek pasta bake is a labor of love and the results are absolutely worth it!
🔎 What Is Pastitsio?
Pastitsio (pastichio, pasticcio, Pastizio) is a Greek baked pasta dish made with ground beef, pasta and béchamel sauce. Sometimes referred to as Greek lasagna, this pasta bake is perfectly stacked into distinctive layers that look beautifully uniform when cut into individual servings.
Pastitsio is at the center of many Greek family meals and truly a comfort food dish in every sense of the word.
Pastitsio is made with a flavorful ground beef and tomato sauce infused with red wine and seasoned with cinnamon. That may sound a bit unusual, but it’s truly delicious and well balanced.
🔎 What Is The Difference Between Pastitsio and Moussaka?
Pastitsio is a meat and pasta bake while Moussaka is made with eggplant and potatoes. Both dishes have a layer of béchamel sauce and meat sauce.
✔️ Pastitsio Ingredients
There are three parts to Pastitsio, the pasta, the meat sauce and the béchamel.
✔️ The Meat Sauce:
- Meat: I use lean ground beef, but ground lamb can also be used.
- Aromatics: Onions and garlic
- Wine: I use a dry red wine like pinot noir.
- Tomatoes: Canned crushed tomatoes.
- Spices: Ground cinnamon (don’t skip this ingredient, it’s classic), cayenne pepper, salt and ground black pepper.
- Herbs: Dried oregano and fresh thyme.
- Oil: I use olive oil.
✔️ The Béchamel Sauce:
- Half and half: Warm it up until almost hot.
- Butter: I use unsalted butter.
- Flour: I use all-purpose flour.
- Cheese: Greek Kasseri cheese is the best option to use when making this and other Greek casseroles like Moussaka. I can’t find Kasseri cheese in my area so I usually use Parmesan or Romano cheese. A combination of Pecorino Romano and Italian provolone is also a good option.
- Eggs: I use large eggs.
- Yogurt: I use plain Greek yogurt.
- Seasoning: Salt, ground black pepper and freshly grated nutmeg.
✔️ The Pasta:
Pasta: Traditionally, Greek bucatini is used. Bucatini is a tubular pasta, like spaghetti that has a hole running through the middle. I prefer using a short noodle like penne pasta or ziti.
🔎 How To Make Greek Pastitsio
✔️ Make the Pastitsio Meat Sauce:
- First, sauté the onions until they become translucent. Add the ground beef and cook until not longer pink.
- Stir in the wine and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the garlic, cinnamon, oregano, thyme, and ground cayenne and continue cooking over medium heat for a few minutes.
- Add the crushed tomatoes and season to taste. Simmer over low heat stirring occasionally.
✔️ Make the Greek Béchamel Sauce
- Heat up the half and half.
- In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes whisking constantly.
- Gradually, pour the warm half and half into the butter/flour mixture whisking constantly. Continue cooking stirring frequently until the mixture thickens. Add the nutmeg, salt and ground black pepper to taste.
- Stir in ¾ cup of Parmesan cheese and about ½ cup of the meat sauce. Mix to combine and remove from the heat. Allow the béchamel sauce to cool for about 10 minutes, then quickly stir in the eggs, whisking constantly. Add the yogurt and mix to combine. Set aside.
✔️ Assemble the Greek Pastitsio Pasta Bake
- Preheat the oven, then cook the pasta in a pot of salted boiling water until just al dente. Drain the pasta.
- Mix the cooked pasta with the remaining meat sauce and pour the mixture into a large baking dish.
- Spread the béchamel evenly to cover the pasta and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese.
- Bake for 1 hour, until golden brown and bubbly. Remove from the oven and set aside for 10 minutes before serving.
🔎 What Is Kasseri Cheese?
Greek Kasseri cheese is a semi-firm cheese usually made from goat’s and sheep’s milk, or a combination of both. This stretchy cheese has a slightly salty taste and mild buttery flavor. This cheese is typically used to make Pastitsio and Moussaka.
🔎 What Is Béchamel Sauce?
Béchamel is one of the mother sauces of French cuisine. This creamy and luxurious white sauce is made from a roux (butter and flour) and milk or cream. Béchamel is the back bone of many dishes like mac and cheese and savory soufflés.
🔎 Can I Use Ground Lamb?
Yes, you can use ground lamb as well as ground beef or a combination of both to make Greek Pastitsio.
🔎 Can Greek Pastitsio Be Made In Advance?
If you would like to make this Pastitsio recipe in advance, make every single component and assemble the pasta bake. Store it in the refrigerator overnight, covered until ready to bake. Remove from the refrigerator 30 to 45 minutes before baking so the pasta has time to come to room temperature. If the dish is chilled, it will most likely take longer to bake.
🔎 Can You Freeze Pastitsio?
Yes, this Pastitsio recipe freezes well. Cool the baked pasta completely and wrap tightly before freezing. Freeze for up to 2 months. For convenience, I prefer to freeze Pastichio in smaller portions. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Heat up covered in a preheated 300 degrees oven until warm through. You can also warm it up in the microwave.
✔️ Storing Leftovers
You can store leftover cooked Pastitsio in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. Reheat covered, in a preheated 300 degrees oven until warm through. It can also be heated up in the microwave.
Pastitsio Recipe Tips
- Authentic Greek Pastitsio is made with bucatini pasta. I couldn’t find bucatini so I chose a small noodle instead.
- If you don’t want to use wine to make the meat sauce, use beef or chicken broth instead.
- Only cook the pasta until just al dente. The pasta will continue to cook while it bakes.
- You can assemble the casserole a day in advance. Store covered in the refrigerator. Remove from the fridge 30 to 45 minutes before baking so the pasta has time to come to room temperature.
- Allow the baked pasta casserole to rest for about 10 minutes before cutting.
Take a look at these other Greek recipes:
- Greek Meatballs (Keftedes)
Greek Pastitsio
Ingredients
For the Meat Sauce:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 1/2 cup dry red wine
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- 1 (28-ounces) can crushed tomatoes
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the Bechamel Sauce:
- 2 1/2 cups Half and half
- 4 tablespoons 1/2 stick unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan or Kasseri cheese
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 2/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
The Noodles
- 12 ounces bucatini or any small pasta like penne or ziti, (check the Chef’s tips)
Instructions
To Make the Meat Sauce:
- In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté until the onions become translucent, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add the ground beef and cook, crumbling it with the back of a wooden spoon until the beef is no longer pink.
- Stir in the wine, and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the garlic, cinnamon, oregano, thyme, and ground cayenne and continue cooking over medium heat for about 3-4 minutes.
- Add the crushed tomatoes and season to taste. Simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
To Make the Béchamel Sauce:
- Heat the half and half in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until simmering. You can also use the microwave, if you prefer.
- In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes whisking constantly.
- Gradually, pour the warm half and half into the butter/flour mixture, whisking constantly. Continue cooking, stirring frequently until the mixture thickens, about 5 – 6 minutes. Add the nutmeg, salt and ground black pepper to taste.
- Stir in ¾ cup of Parmesan cheese and about ½ cup of the meat sauce. Mix to combine and remove from the heat. Allow the béchamel sauce to cool for about 10 minutes, then quickly stir in the eggs, whisking constantly. Add the yogurt and mix to combine. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until just al dente. Don’t over-cook the pasta as it will have to bake later. Drain.
- Mix the cooked pasta with the meat sauce and pour the mixture into a large baking dish (9.5 x 13).
- Spread the bechamel evenly to cover the pasta and sprinkle with the remaining 3/4 cup of Parmesan cheese.
- Bake for 1 hour, until golden brown and bubbly. Remove from the oven and set aside for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Authentic Greek Pastitsio is made with bucatini pasta. I couldn’t find bucatini so I chose a small noodle instead.
- If you don’t want to use wine to make the meat sauce, use beef or chicken broth instead.
- Only cook the pasta until just al dente. The pasta will continue to cook while it bakes.
- You can assemble the casserole a day in advance. Store covered in the refrigerator. Remove from the fridge 30 to 45 minutes before baking so the pasta has time to come to room temperature.
- You can make the meat sauce 1 to 2 days in advance. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
Leave a Reply