Pastitsio is a delicious everyday Greek classic. You might think it's complicated, but it's actually pretty easy to make at home. With its three delicious layers - tube pasta, fragrant ragu sauce and thick, soufflé-like béchamel sauce, it's like a lasagna, but also a bit different! Perfect for making ahead, this kind of Greek pasta bake keeps and freezes well, is satisfying and comforting, and feeds a small crowd. It's a perfect choice for either a hearty midweek dinner, or to impress family and friends.
Add the ground beef and break up and stir until white.
2 pounds ground beef
Add the garlic, cinnamon, allspice, paprika, dried herbs and salt and pepper and stir briefly. Then mix together the tomato paste/concentrate, red wine and beef bouillon cubes and add this mixture to the sauce as well.
3 garlic cloves, 1½ tsp ground cinnamon, ½ tsp allspice, 1 tsp paprika, ½ tbsp dried oregano, ½ tbsp dried thyme, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper, 3 tbsp tomato paste, ⅔ cup red wine, 2 beef bouillon cubes
Stir in the can of tomatoes. Then bring the mixture to the boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for 30 to 35 minutes. Finally, stir in the chopped parsley (save a little to sprinkle over the finished dish, if you like).
14 ounces chopped tomatoes, 1 bunch fresh parsley
To make the pasta and béchamel sauce
Meanwhile, cook the pasta until al dente (usually around 2 minutes less than stated on the package), then drain and let cool back in the saucepan for a few minutes. Stir in the olive oil, 2 egg whites and ¼ cup of the grated cheese.
To make the béchamel, melt the butter in a medium saucepan, then stir in the flour until you have a paste.
4 ounces butter, 4 ounces flour
Stir in the milk little by little. Then stir until the sauce has thickened and is just bubbling. Add 1 cup of the grated cheese.
4 cups milk
Take off the heat and let cool for a few minutes. Then stir in the egg yolks (and the leftover white if you like) and nutmeg.
½ tsp ground nutmeg
To layer and bake
Preheat the oven to 355F/180C.
Now spread the pastitsio pasta mixture over the bottom of a very large baking dish (a very deep 9x13 inch dish, or a larger dish such as 10x15 inches and 3 inches deep). Don't fill the dish more than half way with pasta (if you have leftovers make another smaller pastitsio). Smooth and pack the pasta down well.
Stir a ladleful of the béchamel into the ragù mixture, if you like (this will help this layer to stay together when sliced). Layer the ragù sauce over the pasta, smoothing it down. Then pour and spread over the béchamel sauce. Sprinkle with the remainder of the grated cheese.
Bake the pastitsio for around 35 minutes or until puffed up and golden on top. Let rest for 15 to 20 minutes (important) before sprinkling over a little extra fresh parsley (if you like) and cutting into neat squares. Serve with a Greek salad or other simple side of your choice.
Video
Notes
Baking dish: A common mistake is to use a baking pan that's too small. You'll need at least a 9 x 13 inch dish that's at least 3 inches deep. Even better would be a 10 x 15 inch dish (affiliate link) or similar. If you can't fit everything into the dish you have, no worries - just make a larger pastitsio and another smaller one to freeze for later! A good rule of thumb is to not fill the dish more than half way with the pasta. How to serve: Serve this authentic pastitsio either with a classic Greek village salad or an even simpler Greek lettuce salad (maroulosalata), or any simple salad of your choice.Variations: Try the recipe with any ground meat you like (beef, lamb, pork, turkey, chicken or a mixture). Add more chopped vegetables instead of some of the meat e.g. diced mushrooms, zucchini, eggplant, or even a can of cooked lentils. Play around with different dried herbs e.g. basil, rosemary, marjoram, or mixed Italian herbs. Storing and freezing: Make the pastitsio up to a few days in advance. Cover and reheat individual portions in the microwave for around 3 minutes or until piping hot throughout.Leftovers will keep well in the fridge (tightly covered or in an airtight container) for 3 to 5 days. You can freeze individual portions of pastitsio in airtight containers for up to 3 months. You can also freeze a whole pan of pastitsio. Wrap well in several layers then defrost overnight in the fridge. Reheat as described above. 'Lighter' and easier alternative: Mix the sauce in with penne pasta instead of layering. Use turkey or chicken ground meat. Make a no-bake béchamel alternative by mixing 1.5 tablespoons of corn starch/corn flour, half a cup of grated kefalotyri (or alternative such as parmesan) and 3 eggs into 2 cups of Greek yogurt. Spread over the top of the pasta and sauce then bake as with the original version of the recipe.