Pastitsio – Greek pasta bake with meat and béchamel Recipe
Pastitsio is a Greek baked pasta dish made with tube-shaped pasta, aromatic ground meat and a thick layer of creamy béchamel. In Greece it often appears at family gatherings and Sunday lunches, a bit like lasagne for special occasions. It’s a hearty, warming dish that reheats very well and is perfect for feeding a crowd.
This pastitsio combines tender tube pasta, a richly spiced meat sauce and a thick, velvety béchamel layer that bakes into a beautifully golden crust. It’s a true Greek comfort classic that tastes even better the next day and is ideal when you need a reliable, crowd-pleasing main course.
Chef's tips
Use good-quality, not too lean ground meat so the sauce stays juicy and flavorful. Let the meat sauce reduce until it is clearly thicker – if it’s too runny, the pastitsio may fall apart when sliced. When adding eggs to the béchamel, make sure the sauce is hot but not boiling and whisk vigorously so the eggs blend in smoothly instead of scrambling.
How to serve
Serve generous squares of pastitsio with a fresh Greek-style salad and, if you like, a spoonful of thick yogurt or tzatziki on the side. A glass of dry red wine pairs very well with the aromatic meat sauce and cinnamon notes.
Ingredients
- pasta (tube-shaped, e.g. penne or ziti) - 400 g
- ground meat - 500 g
- onion large - 1 piece
- garlic - 3 cloves
- canned tomatoes - 400 g
- tomato paste - 1 tablespoon
- red wine - 100 ml
- cinnamon ground - 0.25 teaspoons
- bay leaf - 2 pieces
- yellow cheese for grating - 120 g
- butter - 70 g
- wheat flour - 70 g
- milk - 800 ml
- egg - 2 pieces
- olive oil - 2 tablespoons
- salt
- black pepper freshly ground
- nutmeg freshly grated - 0.25 teaspoons
Preparation
- Cook the pasta in a large amount of salted water for 2 minutes less than the time given on the package so it stays slightly firm. Drain and toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil so it doesn’t stick together.
- Finely chop the onion and press the garlic through a garlic press. Grate the yellow cheese on the fine side of a grater.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the onion and sauté for 5–7 minutes over medium heat until softened and lightly golden. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
- Add the ground meat, break it up with a spoon and fry for about 7–8 minutes until it changes color completely and is lightly browned. Season with salt and pepper.
- Pour in the red wine, stir and cook for 2–3 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated.
- Add the canned tomatoes, tomato paste, bay leaves and cinnamon. Stir, reduce the heat and simmer the sauce for about 15 minutes until it thickens. At the end remove the bay leaves and, if needed, adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Meanwhile, prepare the béchamel: in a saucepan melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk vigorously for 1–2 minutes until you get a smooth paste without lumps that foams slightly but does not brown.
- Gradually pour in the milk, whisking constantly to prevent lumps from forming. Cook over medium heat for 6–8 minutes, stirring, until the sauce thickens and is smooth, like thick cream.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and season the béchamel with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Set aside for 5 minutes, then whisk in the beaten eggs, stirring vigorously so they don’t scramble.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (top and bottom heat). Lightly grease a baking dish (about 30×20 cm).
- Spread half of the pasta over the bottom of the dish. Distribute all the meat sauce evenly on top, then cover with the remaining pasta.
- Pour the béchamel over the top, spread it into an even layer and sprinkle with the grated cheese.
- Place the dish in the oven and bake for about 30–35 minutes, until the top is golden and slightly crisp around the edges.
- After removing from the oven, let the pastitsio rest for at least 15 minutes so it can set slightly – this will make it easier to cut into portions.
Storage
Zapiekankę przechowuj w lodówce w formie przykrytej folią lub w pojemniku. Dobrze znosi odgrzewanie w piekarniku lub mikrofalówce. Możesz też zamrozić pojedyncze porcje i podgrzewać je bezpośrednio z zamrażarki w piekarniku pod przykryciem.
