Pastitsio

About This Recipe

Pastitsio is Greece's magnificent baked pasta — a dish that sits at the intersection of comfort food and celebration cooking. The combination of tubular pasta, a cinnamon-and-allspice-spiced meat sauce, and a thick, golden béchamel crust creates something that is greater than the sum of its parts. It is the dish that every Greek grandmother is legendary for, and every Greek family has a treasured version of.

Ingredients

Serves 8

• 400 gtubular pasta (penne or ziti)
• 500 gminced beef or lamb
• 1 largeonion(finely diced)
• 3 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 400 gcanned crushed tomatoes
• 1 tspcinnamon
• 1 tspallspice
• 1 tspblack pepper
• 60 ggrated kefalotiri or Parmesan
• 80 gbutter(for béchamel)
• 80 gplain flour(for béchamel)
• 800 mlwhole milk(for béchamel)
• 2eggs(for béchamel)
• 1 pinchnutmeg
• 2 tbspolive oil

Instructions

1. 1

   Make meat sauce

   Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil. Add mince; brown. Add tomatoes, cinnamon, allspice, and pepper. Simmer 25 min. Cool slightly.

2. 2

   Cook pasta

   Boil pasta until al dente. Drain. Toss with 1 tbsp butter and half the cheese.

3. 3

   Make béchamel

   Melt butter; whisk in flour. Gradually add warm milk, whisking constantly. Cook until thick. Off heat, whisk in eggs and nutmeg. Season.

4. 4

   Layer

   Spread half the pasta in a greased deep baking dish. Top with all the meat sauce. Add remaining pasta. Pour béchamel over evenly. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

5. 5

   Bake

   Bake at 180 °C for 40–45 min until béchamel is golden and set.

6. 6

   Rest and serve

   Rest 15 min before cutting into squares.

Variations

• •

  Use a mix of beef and lamb for more depth

• •

  Add a layer of grilled aubergine

• •

  Replace some béchamel with ricotta for a lighter topping

Storage

Refrigerate up to 4 days. Reheat covered at 180 °C for 20 min. Freezes well for up to 3 months.

Frequently Asked Questions