Greek Pastitsio Recipe

A close-up of a spatula lifting a slice of baked pasta with layers of meat sauce, creamy béchamel, and melted cheese, sprinkled with herbs. The remaining dish is visible in the background.

5 from 1 vote

Pastitsio is what Greeks call their version of lasagna! It features layers of bucatini-style pasta in a rich meaty sauce, topped with a thick layer of béchamel. A cozy and comforting classic.

Prep Time30

Cook Time20

Bake Time1

Total Time1 50

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Greek

Keyword: greek pasta, greek recipes, lasagna recipe, pasta dish, pastitsio recipe

Servings: portions

Author: The Modern Nonna

Equipment

Ingredients

Meat Sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil
454 grams ground beef or pork
1 onion finely diced
4 cloves garlic finely diced
1 teaspoons salt to taste
1 teaspoons dry oregano to taste
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ cup wine red or white
1 teaspoon tomato paste
2 cups tomato sauce we use our homemade sauce which has salt, basil and tomatoes only
¼ cup mozzarella optional

Béchamel Sauce

⅓ cup unsalted butter
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk 2% or whole
2 egg yolks
1 pinch salt to taste
¼ cup Parmigiano Reggiano (grated) or Greek Kefalotyri

Additional Ingredients

350 grams Greek pastitsio pasta boiled in salted water to al-dente
1 drizzle olive oil
2 egg whites
2 cups mozzarella cheese or Greek Kefalotyri cheese which is traditional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

The Meat Sauce

Heat the olive oil in a large pan (with high sides) over medium-high heat. Add the ground meat and begin to break it up. Fry the ground meat for about 10 minutes or until it begins to pop. The water should completely evaporate and the pan should be dry.
When the water has evaporated, reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the onions. Add in the garlic and stir. Add the oregano, paprika, salt, pepper and stir.
Add in the red wine and let it evaporate by cooking it for another few minutes.
Stir in the tomato paste and cook for another minute. Add in the tomato sauce and cook the sauce for 10-20 minutes on low heat or until thick.
Note: Spices like cinnamon and clove are traditional to most Greek meat sauces and what give Pastitsio that distinctive and rich flavor. My family prefers the sauce without it but feel free to add it in if you want a more traditional version.
Take the meat sauce off the heat, stir in 1/4 cup grated Mozzarella cheese as it acts as a binder (you can omit, it's optional). Let the meat sauce cool and thicken.

Béchamel Sauce

While the meat sauce is cooking or cooling, you can get started on the béchamel sauce.
On medium heat, add the butter to a big pot and let it melt completely.
Stir in the flour, it should look like a thick paste. Switch to a whisk and gradually add in the milk as you vigorously whisk the whole time.
Once the milk has finished whisk for a few more minutes until the sauce has fully thickened as you stir the whole time. It should coat the back of a wooden spoon. Take it off the heat.
Next, add the salt and stir in the Parmigiano Cheese (or Kefalotyri). Nutmeg is also traditional but we leave it out.
Let the sauce cool for 5 minutes. Then, whisk in the egg yolks quickly. Place the lid on and set aside. Set aside and start on the pasta.
Note: if the sauce gets too thick as it cools, just reheat on low heat until it's pourable. If the béchamel sauce is lumpy, feel free to pass it through a strainer to smooth it out.

Additional Steps + Assembly

Preheat the oven to 400F (200C)
In boiling salted water, boil the Greek pastitsio pasta until al-dente. We like to boil it for about 6 minutes from the boiling point.
Note: if you can't find Pastitsio pasta, use ziti, bucatini, or penne.
When the pasta is boiled, strain the water and add a drizzle of olive oil to the pasta. Then add in 2 room temperature whisked egg-whites (our binder) and stir it well immediately so that the pasta gets fully coated.
Pour the pasta out into a large rectangular baking dish with higher sides. I use a 9 by 13 inch dish which is 3 inches deep.
We like to take the tongs (or clean hands) and turn each pasta noodle all in one direction (you don't have to if you don't want to). We lay out the pasta so they are all in one direction because we want to see the uniformed pasta holes when we cut it.
Add a handful of grated mozzarella cheese on top of the pasta.
Pour the meat sauce onto the pasta making sure to cover the pasta fully and smooth it out with the back of a spoon or spatula.
Pour the bechamel sauce on top of the meat sauce making sure to smooth it out so that it covers the meat fully.
Add grated mozzarella (enough to cover the top) and bake UNCOVERED at 400F (200C) until golden and bubbly. This can take anywhere from 40-60 minutes depending on the oven.
Let it cool for a minimum of 30 minutes and enjoy!

Video

Notes

Béchamel: If the béchamel sauce is lumpy, you can pass it through a sieve. My mom usually passes it through a sieve but it's optional.

The Wine: In traditional Greek Pastitsio, red wine is often used instead of white and spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. My family and I don't prefer these spices in savory dishes so we leave it out.

The Cheese: Traditionally Greek Kefalotyri cheese (similar to Parmesan) is used but we like a soft cheese like mozzarella. You can also use Parmigiano Reggiano, Pecorino or any you like.

Egg Binder: the purpose of this step is to help the pasta set and bind better. We do this right before assembling so the egg whites don’t dry out before baking.

Meat Sauce: You want a thick meat sauce with barely any sauce/liquid left in the pot to achieve the layers that you see in this recipe. If the sauce is too runny, you won't be able to achieve that perfect cut. It will not alter the taste but be mindful of this.

The Pasta: Pastitsio can be found in any Greek store or Highland Farms. I like to use the Misko brand #2 but if you can't find it feel free to use bucatini, penne, or ziti.

Nutrition