Greek Pastitsio Recipe
This pastitsio recipe is the ultimate traditional Greek pasta bake with layers of spiced beef, creamy béchamel, and golden cheesy goodness!
Equipment
- 1 Baking Dish 36 cm x 24 cm
Ingredients
Meat Sauce
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large red onion finely chopped
- 1 whole medium sized garlic minced
- 1 kg beef mince meat
- 1 cup red wine
- 800 grams crushed tomatoes
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon salt
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 bunch fresh parsley chopped
Pasta
- 500 grams pastitsio pasta tubed spaghetti
- 1 teaspoon salt for the cooking water
- 2 egg whites reserve the yolks for the béchamel
- 200 grams feta cheese crumbled
- 50 grams Kefalograviera cheese grated - substitutes parmesan, kasseri or peceroni
Greek Bechamel
- 150 grams butter unsalted
- 1 cup plain flour
- 1 litre milk
- 2 egg yolks whites in pasta
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 250 grams Kefalograviera cheese grated - substitutes parmesan, kasseri or peceroni
Instructions
Cook the meat sauce
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium–high heat. Add onion and garlic, cooking until soft and translucent.
- Add beef mince, breaking it up with a spoon, and cook until browned all over.
- Pour in the red wine and simmer for roughly 3 minutes until almost evaporated.
- Stir in crushed tomatoes, then add cinnamon, white pepper, oregano, nutmeg, sugar, salt, thyme, bay leaves and parsley.
- Bring to a gentle simmer, reduce the heat and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and most of the liquid has reduced.
- Remove from the heat and discard the bay leaves.
Prepare the pasta base
- Cook the pastitsio pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to the packet directions.
- Drain well to remove excess water.
- Transfer the hot pasta to a greased baking dish to form the base of your pastitsio.
- Using a spoon or clean hands, mix through the egg whites, feta and grated kefalograviera until evenly coated. Take care, the pasta will still be hot. Spread it into an even layer.
Make the Béchamel
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute, forming a smooth paste.
- Gradually whisk in the milk until the sauce is thick and lump-free.
- Whisk in the egg yolks, nutmeg and grated kefalograviera until glossy and fully combined.
- Continue stirring over medium heat for a further 2–3 minutes. When the béchamel becomes very thick and starts to bubble, remove it from the heat.
Assemble and bake
- Pre-heat the oven to 165 °C (330 °F) fan-forced.
- Pour the meat sauce evenly over the pasta.
- Top with the béchamel, smoothing the surface neatly.
- Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the top is golden. Start checking after 30 minutes.
- Let the pastitsio rest for 30 minutes before slicing so the layers set. Cut, serve and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Pasta options: Pasta No. 2 is traditional, but bucatini or thick penne work well if you can’t find it.
- Wine substitute: Use a non-alcoholic red wine, or substitute with beef stock. Both will keep the sauce rich, flavourful, and nicely balanced.
- Make-ahead: Assemble up to a day early, cover and refrigerate. Add 5–10 minutes to the bake time if starting cold.
- Storage: Cooked pastitsio keeps for 3 days in the fridge.
- Reheating (fridge-cold): Heat at 175 °C (350 °F), covered, until hot.
- Freezing: Cool completely, slice, wrap portions tightly and freeze for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat at 175 °C (350 °F), covered, until hot.
Nutrition
Calories: 1151kcalCarbohydrates: 78gProtein: 56gFat: 66gSaturated Fat: 32gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 23gTrans Fat: 2gCholesterol: 241mgSodium: 2455mgPotassium: 1118mgFiber: 5gSugar: 15gVitamin A: 1377IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 823mgIron: 6mg
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