Greek Pastitsio Recipe (Greek Lasagna)

Name: Greek Pastitsio Recipe (Greek Lasagna)
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 8 people
Ingredients: 900 g ground beef; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 2 medium onion; 4 cloves garlic; ½ cup red wine; 800 g tomato; 1 ½ tablespoon tomato paste; 1 beef stock cube; 1 teaspoon sugar; 1 teaspoon salt; ½ teaspoon black pepper; ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon; ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg; 2 bay leaf; 100 g butter; 100 g all-purpose flour; 950 ml milk; ½ teaspoon salt; ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg; 1 tablespoon PLAIN yogurt; 2 egg; 100 g Parmesan Cheese; 400 g bucatini pasta; 2 egg; 100 g feta cheese

User Reviews

5

2 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
45 mins
Total Time
1 hr 15 mins
Servings
8 people
Calories
837 kcal
Course
Main Course
Cuisine
Mediterranean, Greek

Greek Pastitsio Recipe (Greek Lasagna)

Dana Farley

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Greek Pastitsio Recipe, (or Greek Lasagna - Greek Macaroni), is a favorite comfort food of mine, especially when I need to feed a crowd.

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Ingredients

Servings

For the Meat Sauce

900 g ground beef
1 tablespoon olive oil optional, good quality
2 medium onion finely chopped
4 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
½ cup red wine
800 g tomato tinned or fresh, chopped
1 ½ tablespoon tomato paste
1 beef stock cube (crumbled)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 bay leaf

For the Bechamel Sauce

100 g butter unsalted
100 g all-purpose flour plain white flour
950 ml milk semi-skimmed or full-fat
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon PLAIN yogurt natural
2 egg yolk
100 g Parmesan Cheese or pecorino cheese, grated

For the Pasta Bake

400 g bucatini pasta or penne or ziti pasta
2 egg white
100 g feta cheese (crumbled)

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Instructions

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Preparing the Meat Sauce

To make the meat sauce, heat a large pan or a Dutch oven on medium heat and put the ground beef in.
Cook the meat until it releases its fat and is nicely browned. Break the mince down into small pieces with a wooden spoon while cooking.
Add the onions and garlic to the pan and sauté them until they become translucent in the fat released by the meat. If the meat doesn't release enough fat, you can add some olive oil to help cook the onions and garlic.
Pour in red wine, allowing it to simmer until reduced by half.
Next, add the freshly ground black pepper, tomato paste, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, stock cube, bay leaves, and salt. Sauté everything for about 30 seconds.
Stir in the chopped tomatoes, and simmer uncovered over low heat for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens.
Remove bay leaves and let the meat sauce cool down while preparing the bechamel sauce and cooking the pasta.

Preparing the Bechamel Sauce

To make the béchamel sauce, in a separate saucepan, melt unsalted butter over medium heat.
Add flour to the melted butter, stirring constantly to form a smooth paste. Cook for about 1-2 minutes. Don't let it brown; it needs to stay pale in color.
Gradually pour in milk, whisking constantly to avoid lumps, until the mixture thickens and becomes smooth. The sauce can stick to the bottom of the pan and burn easily, so be sure to keep stirring it constantly.
Season the sauce with salt and nutmeg, then remove from heat.
Let the sauce cool down for 5 minutes, then stir in yogurt, egg yolks, and half of the grated parmesan cheese until well combined. Set aside.

Preparing the Pastitsio Pasta

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
Cook the bucatini (or penne, or ziti) pasta for 3-4 minutes less than the package instructions.
Drain and place the pasta in a large mixing bowl, toss with egg whites and crumbled feta cheese until well coated.
Lightly grease a rectangular dish approximately size of 33 cm x 22 cm (13" x 9") with a minimum of 9 cm (3.5") depth.
Layer the pasta in your prepared baking dish, pour the meat sauce over it, and spread it out evenly.
Pour the prepared béchamel sauce evenly over the meat sauce, then use a spatula to smooth it out.
Sprinkle the remaining half of the grated Parmesan cheese on top and bake in the preheated oven for 35-45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and bubbly.
Allow the pastitsio to cool for 15-20 minutes before slicing it into squares and serving.

Equipments used:

Notes

Use full-fat Greek yogurt for a creamier texture in the béchamel sauce.
Remove the bay leaves before building your Greek Lasagne dish.
Don't skip the nutmeg in the béchamel sauce—it adds a unique flavor that complements the dish.
Let the Pastitsio cool for 15-20 minutes before slicing it into squares and serving.
If you're short on time, you can prepare the meat sauce and béchamel sauce ahead of time and assemble the pastitsio when you're ready to bake it.

Nutrition Information

Show Details

Calories 837kcal (42%) Carbohydrates 63g (21%) Protein 40g (80%) Fat 45g (69%) Saturated Fat 21g (105%) Polyunsaturated Fat 2g (12%) Monounsaturated Fat 16g (80%) Trans Fat 2g (100%) Cholesterol 187mg (62%) Sodium 1237mg (52%) Potassium 937mg (20%) Fiber 4g (16%) Sugar 12g (24%) Vitamin A 828IU (17%) Vitamin C 13mg (14%) Calcium 405mg (41%) Iron 5mg (28%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8people

Amount Per Serving

Calories 837 kcal

% Daily Value*

Calories	837kcal	42%
Carbohydrates	63g	21%
Protein	40g	80%
Fat	45g	69%
Saturated Fat	21g	105%
Polyunsaturated Fat	2g	12%
Monounsaturated Fat	16g	80%
Trans Fat	2g	100%
Cholesterol	187mg	62%
Sodium	1237mg	52%
Potassium	937mg	20%
Fiber	4g	16%
Sugar	12g	24%
Vitamin A	828IU	17%
Vitamin C	13mg	14%
Calcium	405mg	41%
Iron	5mg	28%