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4.6 from 72 votes

Pastitsio-Greek Beef pasta bake

Pastitsio - Greek beef pasta bake is delicious classic comfort food with layers of white sauce, a beef ragù, and thick tubular pasta.

Prep Time
1 hr
Cook Time
1 hr
Servings: 8
Calories: 977 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Greek

Ingredients

for the beef ragù 
  • 1.2 lb ground beef 500 grams
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 onion diced
  • 14 oz San Marzano Tomatoes chopped
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ cup kefalotiri cheese or pecorino romano, grated
  • sea salt
  • freshly ground pepper
for the white sauce
  • ⅔ cup butter
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 8 cups whole milk 2 lt, warm
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ⅔ cup gruyere cheese grated
  • 3 egg yolks from medium size eggs
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • sea salt
for the pasta
  • 11 oz tubular pasta
  • sea salt
  • ½ cup kefalotiri cheese or pecorino romano, grated
  • freshly ground pepper
  • 3 tablespoons butter
For the top
  • ⅓ cup gruyere cheese grated
  • ¼ cup breadcrumbs or panco

Instructions

Make the beef ragu
    Cup of Yum
  1. Place a wide large skillet on the stove over high, without any oil, on a. When skillet is hot add the ground meat. Using a wooden spoon, beak the meat as it browns. Brown while breaking and stirring constantly for 5-6 minutes, until the ground beef is well browned all over.
  2. Add the onion, and olive oil to the skillet and continue sautéing for another 1-2 minutes.
  3. Add the tomato paste and stir. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Scrape the burnt bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon as you stir. 
  4. Add the tomatoes and stir. Lower the heat and cook the beef for about 30 minutes, until it's tender and all its juices have been evaporated. 
  5. Leave the meat to cool. Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
Make the white sauce
  1. Heat the milk slowly in a saucepan with the fresh bay leaf. 
  2. Melt the butter over medium-low heat in a deep saucepan.
  3. Pour the flour in batches and stir continuously on medium to low heat. Continue stirring for 3-4 minutes on low heat to cook the flour.
  4. Pour in the milk, all together with it, along with the bay leaves. Increase the heat a little and continue the non-stop stirring to gradually dissolve the lumps that form. You can't avoid lumps, they just dissolve with continuous stirring.
  5. Add the nutmeg. Simmer the sauce over low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring very often with a wooden spoon. The béchamel will thicken. 
  6. Add the cheese and immediately remove from the heat. Stir well.
  7. Throw in the yolks and continue mixing, with the whisk. If you are not using immediately cover sauce with a cling film and press it lightly on the surface so that it does not form a crust.
Make the pasta
  1. Boil the pasta in plenty of salted boiling water for 8 minutes, until tender. Drain pasta well and place it back in the pot. Add on the butter and toss.
  2. With kitchen scissors, cut the pasta here and there into smaller pieces, so that they are not too long. Sprinkle ½ cup of grated kefalotiri cheese and toss pasta.
Assemble
  1. Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F.
  2. Lay the pasta in a rectangular lasagna pan.
  3. Add ½ cup of grated kefalotiri cheese in the meat sauce and stir.
  4. Layer all the meat sauce on top of the pasta.
  5. Finally, pour the béchamel on top and smooth the surface with a spatula.
  6. Top pastitsio with the breadcrumbs and grated gruyere cheese.
  7. Bake the pastitsio for about 60 minutes, until it forms a smooth and golden crust on top.
  8. Let it cool for 15 minutes at least and serve.

Notes

  • Allow pastitsio to sit for 30 min before serving. It will be easier to cut and serve. 
  • If you're a perfectionist do this:  Pass the béchamel through a fine sieve, pressing it with a wooden spoon so that the tiniest clumps of flour don't remain.
  • Refrigerate already cooked pastitsio for up to three days. 
  • Refrigerate already cooked pastitsio for up to three days. 
  • Pastitsio freezes and reheats beautifully. For uncooked pastitsio: Assemble as directed and wrap the baking pan tightly with heavy-duty foil. Make sure to label and date the foil. Consume within 3 months. For baked pastitsio: Let the food cool completely, wrap the pan tightly with heavy-duty foil, label and date it and freeze for up to 3 months.
  • Pastitsio freezes and reheats beautifully.
  • : Assemble as directed and wrap the baking pan tightly with heavy-duty foil. Make sure to label and date the foil. Consume within 3 months.
  • Let the food cool completely, wrap the pan tightly with heavy-duty foil, label and date it and freeze for up to 3 months.
  •  
  •  
  • Keep more milk and flour around than you might actually need. Just in case an adjustment in the thickness of the sauce is needed.
  • I always make more white sauce than I need. It is better to have extra than less, trust me on this. Refrigerate leftover sauce for up to three days. It must be covered with a transparent film right on the surface of the sauce, so that it does not form a crust. Use it over steak with lots of black pepper, fried potatoes, potato fritters or make macaroni and cheese.
  • Allow pastitsio to sit for 30 min before serving. It will be easier to cut and serve. 
  • If you're a perfectionist do this:  Pass the béchamel through a fine sieve, pressing it with a wooden spoon so that the tiniest clumps of flour don't remain.
  • Refrigerate already cooked pastitsio for up to three days. 
  • Pastitsio freezes and reheats beautifully. For uncooked pastitsio: Assemble as directed and wrap the baking pan tightly with heavy-duty foil. Make sure to label and date the foil. Consume within 3 months. For baked pastitsio: Let the food cool completely, wrap the pan tightly with heavy-duty foil, label and date it and freeze for up to 3 months.

Nutrition Information

Calories 977kcal (49%) Carbohydrates 58g (19%) Protein 37g (74%) Fat 66g (102%) Saturated Fat 30g (150%) Polyunsaturated Fat 4g Monounsaturated Fat 26g Trans Fat 2g Cholesterol 234mg (78%) Sodium 625mg (26%) Potassium 761mg (22%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 14g (28%) Vitamin A 1368IU (27%) Vitamin C 2mg (2%) Calcium 651mg (65%) Iron 3mg (17%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 977

% Daily Value*

Calories 977kcal 49%
Carbohydrates 58g 19%
Protein 37g 74%
Fat 66g 102%
Saturated Fat 30g 150%
Polyunsaturated Fat 4g 24%
Monounsaturated Fat 26g 130%
Trans Fat 2g 100%
Cholesterol 234mg 78%
Sodium 625mg 26%
Potassium 761mg 16%
Fiber 2g 8%
Sugar 14g 28%
Vitamin A 1368IU 27%
Vitamin C 2mg 2%
Calcium 651mg 65%
Iron 3mg 17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.