Description
Greek Pastitsio is a traditional baked pasta dish featuring layers of tender pasta, rich and aromatic meat sauce infused with cinnamon and oregano, and topped with a creamy, cheesy béchamel sauce. This hearty comfort food combines ground beef, mushrooms, vegetables, and Mediterranean spices to create a flavorful, satisfying meal perfect for family dinners or special occasions.
Ingredients
Pasta
- 250 g pastitsio noodles or dried penne pasta (~9 oz)
- 1 tablespoon salt (for boiling pasta)
Meat Sauce
- 1 ½ cups sliced mushrooms
- ½ small onion, finely diced
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced
- ½ large red capsicum, finely diced
- 500 g beef mince (~1 lb)
- 1 ⅓ cups tomato passata (puree) (400 ml)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- ½ cup fresh parsley, lightly packed, roughly chopped
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup water (60 ml)
- ½ tablespoon olive oil (for cooking mushrooms and vegetables)
Béchamel Sauce
- 170 g butter (6 oz / 1½ sticks)
- ¾ cup plain flour (all purpose flour) (95 g / ~3 oz)
- 4 cups whole milk
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 ½ cups finely grated kefalotyri cheese or parmesan cheese (not packed)
- 2 large eggs
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan forced) or 395°F to prepare for baking the pastitsio.
- Cook Pasta: Boil 6 cups of salted water until bubbling vigorously. Add the pasta noodles and cook until just tender but firm (al dente). Drain and immediately transfer the pasta into a roughly 9×12 inch baking dish.
- Cook Mushrooms and Vegetables: Heat ½ tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sliced mushrooms and cook until they begin to brown. Then add finely diced onion, garlic, and red capsicum, cooking for 3-4 minutes until softened and aromatic.
- Brown Mince: Add the beef mince to the skillet. Cook, stirring and turning regularly, until the mince is browned all over and fully cooked.
- Add Sauce Ingredients: Stir in tomato passata, tomato paste, chopped parsley, ground cinnamon, salt, dried oregano, and freshly ground black pepper. Pour in ¼ cup of water rinsed from the passata bottle to gather all sauce flavors.
- Simmer Meat Sauce: Reduce heat to very low and simmer the sauce for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until it thickens and is no longer watery.
- Make Béchamel: In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in the flour and whisk constantly for about a minute to cook out the raw flour taste while keeping the mixture smooth.
- Add Milk to Béchamel: Gradually pour in the milk, whisking continuously to avoid lumps, until you have a smooth sauce. Cook on low heat for 3-5 minutes until the béchamel thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Add Cheese and Season: Remove from heat and set aside ⅓ cup of the grated cheese. Add the remaining cheese, salt, and pepper to the béchamel and whisk until fully incorporated and smooth.
- Temper Eggs: Separate the eggs into two small bowls. Take a few spoonfuls of hot béchamel and quickly whisk into the egg yolks to temper them. Return this mixture to the béchamel sauce and mix thoroughly.
- Cool Ingredients: Allow the pasta, meat sauce, and béchamel to cool slightly (about 10 minutes) before assembly to ensure even layering and prevent curdling.
- Assemble Pasta Layer: Combine the cooked pasta in the baking dish with one egg white, ¼ cup of the béchamel sauce, and the reserved ⅓ cup of grated cheese. Mix well, then level and gently press down in the dish.
- Add Meat Sauce Layer: Spread the thickened meat sauce evenly over the pasta layer, smoothing the surface.
- Top with Béchamel: Pour the remaining béchamel sauce over the meat sauce, then level the top evenly.
- Bake: Place the assembled dish in the preheated oven and bake for about 40 minutes until the top is golden and bubbling.
- Rest and Serve: Remove the pastitsio from the oven and let it cool for 15 minutes to set. This allows easier slicing and beautiful square servings.
- Enjoy and Share: Serve warm and enjoy the rich layers and flavors. Optionally, leave a comment or rating if you tried this recipe.
Notes
- Note 1: Using tomato paste adds depth and richness to the meat sauce.
- Note 2: Pastitsio noodles are traditional; dried penne pasta can be used as a substitute.
- Note 3: Kefalotyri cheese offers an authentic Greek flavor, but good quality parmesan can be a substitute.
- Cook pasta until just al dente to prevent mushiness during baking.
- Tempering the eggs prevents them from scrambling when added to the hot béchamel.
- Allow the dish to cool before slicing for cleaner servings.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Greek
