Authentic Pastitsio Recipe (Baked Greek Pasta)

Name: Authentic Pastitsio Recipe (Baked Greek Pasta)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h 5 min
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 12 serving
Ingredients: 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 onion; 1 large carrot; 2 sticks celery; 2 pounds ground beef; 3 garlic cloves; 1½ tsp ground cinnamon; ½ tsp allspice; 1 tsp paprika; ½ tbsp dried oregano; ½ tbsp dried thyme; 1 tsp salt; ½ tsp pepper; 3 tbsp tomato paste; ⅔ cup red wine; 2 beef bouillon cubes; 14 ounces chopped tomatoes; 1 bunch fresh parsley; 14 ounces pasta; 2 tbsp olive oil; 4 ounces butter; 4 ounces flour; 4 cups milk; 3 eggs; 1½ cups Parmesan Cheese; ½ tsp ground nutmeg

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4.8

15 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 15 mins
Total Time
1 hr 20 mins
Servings
12
Calories
606 kcal
Course
Main Course
Cuisine
Greek

Authentic Pastitsio Recipe (Baked Greek Pasta)

Emmett Bennett

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Pastitsio is a delicious everyday Greek classic. You might think it's complicated, but it's actually pretty easy to make at home. With its three delicious layers - tube pasta, fragrant ragu sauce and thick, soufflé-like béchamel sauce, it's like a lasagna, but also a bit different! Perfect for making ahead, this kind of Greek pasta bake keeps and freezes well, is satisfying and comforting, and feeds a small crowd. It's a perfect choice for either a hearty midweek dinner, or to impress family and friends.

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Ingredients

Servings

For the ragu sauce layer

2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion diced finely
1 large carrot diced finely
2 sticks celery diced finely
2 pounds ground beef
3 garlic cloves crushed
1½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp allspice
1 tsp paprika
½ tbsp dried oregano
½ tbsp dried thyme (or replace with more oregano or mixed Italian herbs)
1 tsp salt or to taste
½ tsp pepper or to taste
3 tbsp tomato paste (tomato concentrate)
⅔ cup red wine (or beef broth/stock if you prefer)
2 beef bouillon cubes (stock cubes)
14 ounces chopped tomatoes
1 bunch fresh parsley chopped

For the pasta and béchamel layers

14 ounces pasta (long tubular Greek 'pastitsio' pasta, or use Italian bucatini, penne, ziti or rigatoni)
2 tbsp olive oil
4 ounces butter (½ cup or 1 stick)
4 ounces flour (½ cup)
4 cups milk (I prefer to use whole milk)
3 eggs separated (use 3 lightly whisked yolks in the béchamel and 2 of the whites in the pasta)
1½ cups Parmesan Cheese (If you can find it, use Greek kefalotyri as a first choice. Pecorino, gruyere, manchego or asiago are other possibilities.)
½ tsp ground nutmeg

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Instructions

To make the ragu sauce

In a very large saucepan or pot, sauté the diced vegetables on a medium heat in the olive oil for around 5 minutes.
Add the ground beef and break up and stir until white.
Add the garlic, cinnamon, allspice, paprika, dried herbs and salt and pepper and stir briefly. Then mix together the tomato paste/concentrate, red wine and beef bouillon cubes and add this mixture to the sauce as well.
Stir in the can of tomatoes. Then bring the mixture to the boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for 30 to 35 minutes. Finally, stir in the chopped parsley (save a little to sprinkle over the finished dish, if you like).

To make the pasta and béchamel sauce

Meanwhile, cook the pasta until al dente (usually around 2 minutes less than stated on the package), then drain and let cool back in the saucepan for a few minutes. Stir in the olive oil, 2 egg whites and ¼ cup of the grated cheese.
To make the béchamel, melt the butter in a medium saucepan, then stir in the flour until you have a paste.
Stir in the milk little by little. Then stir until the sauce has thickened and is just bubbling. Add 1 cup of the grated cheese.
Take off the heat and let cool for a few minutes. Then stir in the egg yolks (and the leftover white if you like) and nutmeg.

To layer and bake

Preheat the oven to 355F/180C.
Now spread the pastitsio pasta mixture over the bottom of a very large baking dish (a very deep 9x13 inch dish, or a larger dish such as 10x15 inches and 3 inches deep). Don't fill the dish more than half way with pasta (if you have leftovers make another smaller pastitsio). Smooth and pack the pasta down well.
Stir a ladleful of the béchamel into the ragù mixture, if you like (this will help this layer to stay together when sliced). Layer the ragù sauce over the pasta, smoothing it down. Then pour and spread over the béchamel sauce. Sprinkle with the remainder of the grated cheese.
Bake the pastitsio for around 35 minutes or until puffed up and golden on top. Let rest for 15 to 20 minutes (important) before sprinkling over a little extra fresh parsley (if you like) and cutting into neat squares. Serve with a Greek salad or other simple side of your choice.

Equipments used:

Notes

Baking dish: A common mistake is to use a baking pan that's too small. You'll need at least a 9 x 13 inch dish that's at least 3 inches deep. Even better would be a 10 x 15 inch dish (affiliate link) or similar. If you can't fit everything into the dish you have, no worries - just make a larger pastitsio and another smaller one to freeze for later! A good rule of thumb is to not fill the dish more than half way with the pasta.
How to serve: Serve this authentic pastitsio either with a classic Greek village salad or an even simpler Greek lettuce salad (maroulosalata), or any simple salad of your choice.
Variations: Try the recipe with any ground meat you like (beef, lamb, pork, turkey, chicken or a mixture). Add more chopped vegetables instead of some of the meat e.g. diced mushrooms, zucchini, eggplant, or even a can of cooked lentils. Play around with different dried herbs e.g. basil, rosemary, marjoram, or mixed Italian herbs.
Storing and freezing: Make the pastitsio up to a few days in advance. Cover and reheat individual portions in the microwave for around 3 minutes or until piping hot throughout.
Leftovers will keep well in the fridge (tightly covered or in an airtight container) for 3 to 5 days. You can freeze individual portions of pastitsio in airtight containers for up to 3 months. You can also freeze a whole pan of pastitsio. Wrap well in several layers then defrost overnight in the fridge. Reheat as described above.
'Lighter' and easier alternative: Mix the sauce in with penne pasta instead of layering. Use turkey or chicken ground meat. Make a no-bake béchamel alternative by mixing 1.5 tablespoons of corn starch/corn flour, half a cup of grated kefalotyri (or alternative such as parmesan) and 3 eggs into 2 cups of Greek yogurt. Spread over the top of the pasta and sauce then bake as with the original version of the recipe.

Nutrition Information

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Calories 606kcal (30%) Carbohydrates 42g (14%) Protein 28g (56%) Fat 35g (54%) Saturated Fat 15g (75%) Polyunsaturated Fat 2g Monounsaturated Fat 14g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 133mg (44%) Sodium 807mg (34%) Potassium 652mg (19%) Fiber 3g (12%) Sugar 7g (14%) Vitamin A 2151IU (43%) Vitamin C 12mg (13%) Calcium 317mg (32%) Iron 4mg (22%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 12Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 606 kcal

% Daily Value*

Calories	606kcal	30%
Carbohydrates	42g	14%
Protein	28g	56%
Fat	35g	54%
Saturated Fat	15g	75%
Polyunsaturated Fat	2g	12%
Monounsaturated Fat	14g	70%
Trans Fat	1g	50%
Cholesterol	133mg	44%
Sodium	807mg	34%
Potassium	652mg	14%
Fiber	3g	12%
Sugar	7g	14%
Vitamin A	2151IU	43%
Vitamin C	12mg	13%
Calcium	317mg	32%
Iron	4mg	22%