Traditional Greek Pastitsio Recipe (Greek Lasagna)

Name: Traditional Greek Pastitsio Recipe (Greek Lasagna)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h 45 min
Total time: 2 h
Yield: 8 -12 pieces
Ingredients: 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil; 2 White onions; 1 carrot; 2 celery stalks; 800-900 g lean ground beef; 3/4 cup red wine; 4 garlic cloves; 2 tsp salt; 1 tsp ground pepper; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; 1/4 tsp ground cloves; 1 tbsp dried basil; 3/4 tsp all spice; 3 bay leaves; 28 oz canned tomatoes diced or whole; 1 tbsp sugar; 2 tbsp tomato paste; 1 cup water; 4 tbsp unsalted butter; 4 tbsp all purpose flour; 4 cups whole milk (room temperature); 1 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp pepper; 1/4 tsp nutmeg; 2 cups grated parmesan or kefalograviera cheese; 4 eggs; 400-425 g Greek pasta noodles called Pastitsio No 2 pasta (also known as Greek bucatini)

User Reviews

5.0

18 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 15 mins
Total Time
2 hrs
Servings
8 -12 pieces
Calories
419 kcal
Course
Main Course
Cuisine
Greek

Traditional Greek Pastitsio Recipe (Greek Lasagna)

Ulric Berry

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This delicious dish has a meat sauce made with warming spices, layers of pasta, and creamy bechamel.

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Ingredients

Servings

Meatsauce

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
2 White onions diced
1 carrot diced
2 celery stalks diced
800-900 g lean ground beef
3/4 cup red wine
4 garlic cloves minced
2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 tbsp dried basil
3/4 tsp all spice
3 bay leaves
28 oz canned tomatoes diced or whole
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 cup water

Bechamel

4 tbsp unsalted butter
4 tbsp all purpose flour
4 cups whole milk (room temperature)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 cups grated parmesan or kefalograviera cheese
4 eggs beaten

Pasta

400-425 g Greek pasta noodles called Pastitsio No 2 pasta (also known as Greek bucatini)

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Instructions

Make the meatsauce

Add olive oil to a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot and celery and cook until softened, about 4-5 minutes.
Stir in the ground beef, stirring occasionally to break up the meat and cook for about 10-12 minutes until cooked through.
Pour in the red wine to deglaze the pan. Cook it for a few minutes until most of the wine has evaporated.
Stir in the garlic, spices (salt, pepper, cinnamon, cloves, dried basil, all spice) and bay leaves until incorporated. Next stir in the diced or whole tomatoes (if using whole tomatoes crush them up a bit when added to the pot), sugar, tomato paste and water and bring to a boil. Once simmering, turn the heat to medium-low and let simmer with the lid on until the sauce has cooked down and most of the liquid has evaporated. Set aside.

Make the bechamel

Whisk the 4 eggs together in a bowl and set aside.
Make the bechamel by adding butter to a medium frying pan or pot over medium-low heat. When the butter is melted, add the flour and whisk constantly until a paste forms.
Stir in the milk in 1/2 cup increments, whisking constantly after each addition to make sure the sauce doesn’t get lumpy. Continue whisking and add in salt, pepper and nutmeg. Whisk in the shredded cheese until combined.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in whisked eggs, whisking quickly to combine and make sure the eggs don't get lumpy. Put back on low heat for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, continue whisking – the sauce should be smooth and sort of consistency of a cheese sauce. Set aside.

Pasta

When the meatsauce and bechamel are ready, cook the pasta to al dente and set aside.

Assemble and bake

Preheat the oven to 350F.
Place the pasta in a 9x13 baking dish, arranging the noodles facing the same way as best you can and making the layer as level as you can.
Add the meat sauce as the next layer and smooth out the top of the surface.
Pour the bechamel sauce over the meat sauce layer and gently smooth out the top of the surface.
Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. You can always broil on low towards the end of the baking time to help the crust turn golden.
Let the pasta bake cool for at least 15 minutes and up to 30 minutes before cutting and serving.

Notes

Greek pasta noodles called Pastitsio No 2 pasta (also known as Greek bucatini)
Serve with our Maroulosalata aka my Mamas Salad or Simple Homemade Greek Salad
Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days.
You can find Greek pasta noodles called Pastitsio No 2 pasta (also known as Greek bucatini) in most European or Greek markets/stores.
For the meat sauce, if you don’t want to use red wine, you can try substituting with alcohol-free red wine or beef broth.

Nutrition Information

Show Details

Calories 419kcal (21%) Carbohydrates 40.5g (14%) Protein 30.5g (61%) Fat 13.7g (21%) Saturated Fat 6.7g (34%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1.2g Monounsaturated Fat 5g Trans Fat 0.1g Cholesterol 123.4mg (41%) Sodium 1298.6mg (54%) Fiber 3.7g (15%) Sugar 10.1g (20%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8-12 pieces

Amount Per Serving

Calories 419 kcal

% Daily Value*

Calories	419kcal	21%
Carbohydrates	40.5g	14%
Protein	30.5g	61%
Fat	13.7g	21%
Saturated Fat	6.7g	34%
Polyunsaturated Fat	1.2g	7%
Monounsaturated Fat	5g	25%
Trans Fat	0.1g	5%
Cholesterol	123.4mg	41%
Sodium	1298.6mg	54%
Fiber	3.7g	15%
Sugar	10.1g	20%