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Two plates served with a slice of Greek pastitsio garnished with parsley.

Greek Pastitsio Recipe

Step aside, regular lasagna – let me introduce you to Greek Pastitsio, the magnificent Greek pasta bake that's about to become your new favorite comfort food. This layered masterpiece combines perfectly spiced meat sauce, creamy béchamel, and tender pasta into what can only be described as pure deliciousness.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Greek
Servings 8

Ingredients
  

For the Meat Sauce

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion finely chopped
  • 1 carrot finely chopped
  • 1 celery stalk finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
  • 1 cup red wine
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

For the Bechamel Sauce

  • 12 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 6 cups milk
  • kosher salt to taste
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1/3 cup parmesan cheese

For the Pasta

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 500 grams Bucatini pasta No 2
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1 cup parmesan cheese

Instructions
 

For the Meat Sauce

  • Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, carrot and celery and cook for 2-3 minutes until onion is softened and translucent. Add garlic and the ground beef. Cook the meat, breaking it up as you go, until browned.
  • Season with salt, black pepper, oregano cinnamon and bay leaves. Add wine and cook until the wine has mostly evaporated.
  • Add Tuttorosso Italian Inspirations Crushed Tomatoes Chunky Style in Puree with Sweet Basil into the skillet. Rinse the can with water and pour it back into the skillet. Stir well, cover, and let the sauce simmer for about 30-40 minutes over low heat. Stir occasionally and cook until the sauce thickens. Remove from the heat and let it cool. It can be prepared ahead of time.

For the Bechamel Sauce

  • Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add in the flour mixture and whisk to combine and cook for a couple of minutes.
  • Gradually pour in the milk while whisking continuously. Cook until the sauce thickens and coats the back of the spoon.
  • Remove from heat. Season with salt and black pepper, and nutmeg. Add the egg yolks while whisking vigorously. Add the parmesan cheese and continue to whisk.

For the Pasta

  • Boil pasta until Al dente, drain, and then place them back in the pot. Drizzle with olive oil and stir through the egg whites.
  • Preheat the oven to 350°F degrees.
  • Transfer pasta evenly to a large 9x13 baking pan and sprinkle over 1 cup parmesan cheese.
  • Spoon all the meat sauce evenly over the pasta then continue with the bechamel sauce. Sprinkle more cheese over the béchamel.
  • Bake for 45-50 minutes until deeply golden.
  • Remove the dish from the oven and allow it to cool for at least 1 hour before cutting.
  • Slice into portions and serve garnished with fresh parsley.

Video

Notes

If you'd like to make it ahead of time, I recommend prepping the meat sauce and bechamel sauce the day before and storing them separately in airtight containers in the fridge until the next day. Then, you can prep the pasta layer, add the sauce layers, and bake!
Keyword Greek pastitsio
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