Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: Move over, lasagna! This pastitsio is a Greek baked pasta dish that will wow your family and friends!
How long it takes: 1 hour, 40 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: pasta pot, skillet, 8 x 8 inch baking dish
Servings: 6
I love trying new recipes, and pastitsio has been on my recipe bucket list for awhile now. Ever since I had some at a Greek restaurant in Chicago, I’ve been dying to give it a try. When Kathy asked me to help her kick off the launch of her new book by making one of the recipes out of the “Sunday Dinner” section of her book, my eyes immediately jetted to the pastitsio.
And my, oh my, is Kathy’s recipe delicious! I’m so grateful that I have the chance to share this with you. Her cookbook is full of recipes that you can make in an 8 x 8-inch square pan. I usually double this recipe for pastitsio and make it in a 9 x 13 inch pan. Then we get to enjoy it two nights in a row!
Her book is now available!
If you don’t know what pastitsio is, no worries! It’s a Greek baked pasta similar to Italian lasagna. You can find special pastitsio pasta but I just use mini ziti. The pasta is layered with a mixture of ground beef or lamb, tomatoes and wine. A creamy béchamel (white sauce) tops the pasta. Kathy uses lots of Parmesan in her béchamel recipe and it is irresistible!
You’re going to love this casserole! It makes your house smell SO good! Pastitsio takes a little time to make. It’s in the “Sunday dinner” category of Kathy’s book for a reason. There’s definitely a little extra TLC that goes into making this but if you plan ahead, read through the entire recipe and take your time, there’s nothing too technically difficult about this recipe.
More Casserole Recipes
Pastitsio
Ingredients
- 8 ounces pastitsio pasta (see note)
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 8 ounces ground beef (85/15) (or ground lamb)
- 1 cup diced yellow onion (1 medium onion)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¾ teaspoon coarse salt, divided
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup red wine
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 cup no-salt added canned diced tomatoes, undrained
Béchamel:
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 4 ounces)
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease an 8 × 8-inch glass or ceramic baking dish with butter or cooking spray.
- Boil the pasta in a large pot of salted water according to the package directions. Drain in a colander.8 ounces pastitsio pasta
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef, onion, garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is browned.1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 8 ounces ground beef (85/15), 1 cup diced yellow onion, 2 cloves garlic, minced, ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Add the wine and scrape up any of the bits stuck to the pan with your spoon. Stir in the tomatoes, parsley and another ¼ teaspoon salt, and let the mixture simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated. Remove from the heat and set aside.¼ cup red wine, ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley, 1 cup no-salt added canned diced tomatoes, undrained
- Transfer half of the cooked pasta to the prepared baking dish, spreading it in an even layer on the bottom of the dish. Next, spread the meat mixture in an even layer on top of the pasta. Finally, top the meat with an even layer of the remaining pasta.
- To make the béchamel, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour to form a thick paste and cook, whisking occasionally, until the aroma of the mixture is more nutty than floury, 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and whisk in the milk, then the beaten egg. Mix in ½ cup of the Parmesan, and the salt and pepper. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning if needed. The sauce should be somewhat thick, like a light custard.4 tablespoons unsalted butter, ¼ cup all-purpose flour, 1 cup whole milk, 1 large egg, lightly beaten, ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan over the pasta in the baking dish. Top the Parmesan with the béchamel, spreading the sauce to the edges. The béchamel should form its own layer on top of the casserole.
- Bake until the béchamel is set and browned on top, 45 to 50 minutes. The casserole will be easier to cut—and see those lovely layers—if you wait 10 minutes for it to cool.
Notes
- Pastitsio: You can find pastitsio (sometimes called pastichio) pasta noodles are long and tubular. You can find it in international and specialty food stores, or on Amazon. Bucatini, ziti, or penne are suitable substitutes.
- Double the recipe: This recipe can easily be doubled. Use a 9 x 13 inch pan, and double all the ingredients, to make 12 servings.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!
Added more garlic to the bechamel sauce, ’cause I’m a garlic freak. It’s still baking yet but I’m guessing this will be a go to for me for comfort food
I wholeheartedly support the use of more garlic! :) I hope you loved it!
Looks incredible but every pastitsio recipe I’ve ever made calls for cinnamon. The cinnamon really puts it over the top!
That sounds wonderful!
I will try any pasta dish! This looks great :)
I often make something similar but not the way you make your Bechemal sauce. Does the addition of the egg make the sauce creamier? xoxo
I’ve never heard of this pastitsio – and could never pronounce or spell it again – I totally want to devour it!
Your pastitsio came out absolutely amazing! This is one of my husband’s favorite recipes in the book, I am so glad your family enjoyed it as well. Thank you so much for all of your support, Rachel!!
Hey Rachel, I actually just made that last week and for the Cyprus feature we were doing for their Independence Day today! I made the Cypriot version called makaronia tou fournou. Same thing except for the addition of halloumi cheese and a little mint. We loved it too!
Loving the additions in yours!
I’ve made it for a weeknight dinner. Haven’t made it for a while, but we enjoy it!