Pastitsio (Greek Pasta Bake)

User Reviews

5.0

348 reviews
Excellent
  • Prep Time

    15 mins

  • Cook Time

    2 hrs

  • Servings

    8 - 10 people

  • Calories

    597 kcal

  • Course

    Main Course

  • Cuisine

    Greek

Pastitsio (Greek Pasta Bake)

Kai Walton
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Recipe video above. Greece's answer to Italian Lasagna! This traditional Greek dish is made with layers of pasta topped with a rich meat sauce perfumed with a hint of cinnamon and clove, topped with a thick layer of cheese sauce.For the neat layers pictured, arrange the pasta so they're all going in one direction, and rest the baked Pastitsio for 15 minutes before slicing. Excellent for making ahead (keeps for 4 to 5 days in the fridge) and freezes very well!

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Ingredients

Servings

Meat Sauce:

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves , finely minced
  • 2 Red Onions , finely chopped (sub yellow or brown onions)
  • 1 kg / 2 lb beef mince (ground beef)
  • 3/4 cup red wine , dry (Note 1)
  • 800g / 28 oz canned crushed tomato
  • 2 beef bouillon cubes , crumbled (stock cubes)
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tsp white sugar
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
  • 1 cinnamon stick (or extra 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder)
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper

Greek Bechamel:

  • 100g / 7 tbsp butter , unsalted
  • 3/4 cup flour , plain/all purpose
  • 1 litre / 4 cups milk , whole/full fat best but low fat ok
  • 1/8 tsp nutmeg , preferably freshly grated
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 100g / 3 oz Kefalotyri Greek cheese (sub Parmesan or Romano) , finely shredded (Note 2)
  • 2 egg yolks (egg whites are used in the pasta)

Pasta:

  • 400g / 14 oz Pastitsio No. 2 pasta / Greek bucatini (sub small ziti, penne or normal bucatini, Note 3)
  • 120g / 4 oz feta , crumbled
  • 2 egg whites (yolks used in Béchamel)

Topping:

  • 75g / 3 oz Kefalotyri Greek cheese (sub Parmesan or Romano) , finely grated (Note 2)
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Instructions

Meat Sauce:

  1. Heat in a large pot over high heat. Add garlic and onion, cook for 2 - 3 minutes until onion is softened. Add beef and cook, breaking it up as you go, until it changes from red to brown.
  2. Add wine and and cook until the wine has mostly evaporated - about 3 minutes.
  3. Add remaining Meat Sauce ingredients. Stir well, bring to simmer, then reduce heat to medium / medium low so it's simmering gently. Cook for 45 min to 1 hour until liquid is mostly gone, stirring every now and then. It should be a thick mixture with little liquid, not saucy like Spaghetti Bolognese (Note 4).
  4. Remove from stove and cool. Preferably to room temperature, otherwise for at least 30 minutes before assembling (lid off).

Greek Béchamel (Note 5):

  1. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and stir for 1 minute.
  2. While stirring, slowly pour half the milk in. It should turn into a wet paste. Then again, while stirring, pour in remaining milk - the paste should easily dissolve so it's lump-free. If not, just whisk vigorously.
  3. Cook, stirring so the base doesn't catch, for 5 minutes or until thick enough so it coats the back of a wooden spoon thickly and you can draw a path across it with your finger.
  4. Remove from stove. Stir in nutmeg, cheese and salt.
  5. Leave to cool for 5 minutes. Then whisk in egg yolks quickly. Place lid on and set aside. If sauce cools and gets too thick to pour, just reheat on a low stove until pourable.

Pasta (Note 6):

  1. When you're ready to assemble, cook the pasta per packet instructions, minus 1 minute.
  2. Drain, then return to the pot. Leave to cool for 3 minutes, then stir through egg whites. Gently stir through crumbled feta.

Assemble and bake:

  1. Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (all oven types).
  2. Place pasta in a baking dish (33 x 22 x 7 cm / 9 x 13 x 2.75"), arranging them so they are all going in the same direction as best you can (for visual effect when sliced). Make the surface as level as you can.
  3. Top with Meat Sauce, then smooth the surface.
  4. Pour over Béchamel Sauce, then sprinkle over the cheese.
  5. Bake 30 min or until crust turns golden.
  6. Cool for at least 10 minutes so you can cut neat slices with the layers neatly visible. Serve!

Notes

  • Red wine - any dry red wine is fine here. If you can't consume alcohol, substitute with liquid beef or chicken stock/broth.
  • Kefalotyri Greek cheese - a Greek sheep or goat's milk cheese, similar to Parmesan but not as salty. Substitute with Parmesan or Romano cheese.
  • Pasta for Pastitsio - the traditional pasta is a thick tubular pasta called "Pastitsio No 2 pasta", sometimes also referred to as Greek bucatini. It is thicker than Italian bucatini (tubular pasta). See in post for close-up photos. Find it at European/Greek delis. Substitute with small penne or ziti, or normal Italian bucatini for a similar look. Otherwise, any pasta is fine!
  • Thickness of meat sauce - you want it very thick with barely any sauce in order to achieve the neat layers that you see pictured in post. If it's too loose, it will run down into the pasta and discolour it, as well as making the pasta slippery so it doesn't hold together when you slice it. But even if your slices don't cut as neatly as pictured, it doesn't affect flavour!
  • Greek Béchamel - thicker than the cheese sauce used to top Italian lasagna both in consistency and thickness of the layer. The egg yolks help it set more when baked so it doesn't ooze when you cut a slice.
  • Tossing pasta with egg whites - the purpose of the egg whites is to help the pasta set better so you can cut neat slices with distinct layers. Do this just before assembling so the egg whites don't dry out before baking.
  • Storage and make ahead - cooked Pastitsio keeps perfectly in the fridge for 4 to 5 days, or freezer for 3 months (thaw then reheat covered in oven).
  • Nutrition per serving, assuming 8 (big!) servings.

Nutrition Information

Show Details
Calories 597cal (30%) Carbohydrates 48g (16%) Protein 35g (70%) Fat 28g (43%) Saturated Fat 13g (65%) Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 137mg (46%) Sodium 1062mg (44%) Potassium 786mg (22%) Fiber 4g (16%) Sugar 7g (14%) Vitamin A 651IU (13%) Vitamin C 10mg (11%) Calcium 250mg (25%) Iron 5mg (28%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8- 10 people

Amount Per Serving

Calories 597 kcal

% Daily Value*

Calories 597cal 30%
Carbohydrates 48g 16%
Protein 35g 70%
Fat 28g 43%
Saturated Fat 13g 65%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 137mg 46%
Sodium 1062mg 44%
Potassium 786mg 17%
Fiber 4g 16%
Sugar 7g 14%
Vitamin A 651IU 13%
Vitamin C 10mg 11%
Calcium 250mg 25%
Iron 5mg 28%

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

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