Pastitsio - Greek-style Lasagna
User Reviews
4.2
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Prep Time
20 mins
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Cook Time
2 hrs 20 mins
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Servings
9 portions
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Calories
855 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Greek
Pastitsio - Greek-style Lasagna
Description
To prepare the meat sauce, ground pork and beef are browned with onion and garlic, then cooked with tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, cloves, allspice, cinnamon, bay leaves, and seasoning. The sauce simmers covered for about an hour to develop deep flavor and reduce liquid, then is partially uncovered to thicken. The pasta is cooked separately according to type.
The Greek béchamel is made by cooking butter and flour into a roux, then slowly whisking in lukewarm milk with nutmeg and cooking until it thickens to a creamy consistency. After cooling slightly, eggs and cheese are whisked in to enrich and add structure. The assembled dish layers pasta, meat sauce, and béchamel, then is baked until set and golden.
Pastitsio offers a layered textural contrast between firm pasta, hearty, spiced meat, and smooth, rich béchamel. It is often served as a main dish for family meals or gatherings and pairs well with a simple salad or vegetables.
Ingredients
For The Ground Meat Sauce:
- olive oil
- 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) ground meat half pork and half beef
- 1 large onion minced
- 2 garlic minced, cloves
- 4½ tablespoons tomato paste
- 400 grams (14 ounce) diced tomatoes crushed tomatoes or fresh diced tomatoes, canned
- ⅔ teaspoon cloves ground
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 tick cinnamon
- 2 bay leaf
- sea salt coarse
- black pepper ground
- Optional: ⅔ teaspoon sugar
For The Greek Bechamel Cream:
- 120 grams (8 tablespoons) butter
- 120 grams (1 cup) flour
- 1400 ml milk lukewarm
- 2 egg
- 2 egg yolk
- 170 grams grams (6 ounces) kefalotyri cheese or Parmesan, Pecorino, or Romano cheese, Greek
- ⅓ teaspoon ground nutmeg
For The Pasta:
- 500 grams (17.6 ounces) macaroni No.2, for Pastitsio
Instructions
Make the Ground Meat Sauce:
- Heat a splash of olive oil in a cooking pot over high heat.
- Saute onion until softened. Then add the garlic.
- Add the ground meat. Season with coarse sea salt and ground pepper.
- Break up the meat using a wooden spoon, until browned and drained from its juices.
- Stir in the tomato paste, ground cloves, allspice, and cinnamon stick. Cook for a minute.
- Add the diced tomatoes and the bay leaves. Pour in 4 cups of hot water.
- Simmer covered for about an hour over medium-low heat. Towards the end uncover the pot and allow the sauce to thicken. Meanwhile, make the cream.
Make The Bechamel Cream:
- Melt butter in a saucepan over moderate heat.
- Add the flour. Cook until it looks sandy for about 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Pour in the milk and add the nutmeg. Cook stirring often until the cream thickens. Scrape the sides and walls of the cooking pot where flour tends to stick.
- Set aside for 10 minutes to cool.
- Whisk in the eggs and ⅔ of the grated cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
For The Pasta:
- Boil pasta al dente following package instructions.
Put Together:
- Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F.
- I used a 14 x 11 x 3-inch (36 x 28 x 7) pan. You can use a slightly bigger but not smaller pan.
- Save ¼ of the cooked pasta and spread the remaining in the pan. Try to arrange it to face toward one direction as much as possible (for visual purposes).
- Spread the ground meat sauce on top. Then add the ¼ of the pasta you saved.
- Ladle the cream and spread it evenly with a spoon.
- Sprinkle the remaining ⅓ of the grated cheese all over on top.
- Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until honey-colored on top on the lowest rack of the oven.
- Allow to cool and set for at least 30 to 45 minutes at room temperature.
- Cut, serve, and enjoy!
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 9portions
Amount Per Serving
Calories 855 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1serving | |
| Calories | 855kcal | 43% |
| Carbohydrates | 66g | 22% |
| Protein | 43g | 86% |
| Fat | 46g | 71% |
| Saturated Fat | 22g | 110% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 2g | 12% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 16g | 80% |
| Trans Fat | 2g | 100% |
| Cholesterol | 219mg | 73% |
| Sodium | 671mg | 28% |
| Potassium | 915mg | 19% |
| Fiber | 4g | 16% |
| Sugar | 13g | 26% |
| Vitamin A | 1030IU | 21% |
| Vitamin C | 7mg | 8% |
| Calcium | 497mg | 50% |
| Iron | 5mg | 28% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.2
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