Description
Pastitsio is the Greek baked pasta dish that sits somewhere between lasagna and moussaka — layers of tubular pasta, a cinnamon-spiced meat sauce, and a thick béchamel topping that bakes into a golden custard. It is one of those dishes that Greek home cooks argue about endlessly — how thick the béchamel should be, which pasta shape is correct, how much cinnamon is too much. The answer to the last one is that there is no such thing as too much.
Ingredients
Units
- 1 lb bucatini or thick macaroni pasta
- 1 1/2 lbs ground beef
- 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) crushed tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 2 large egg yolks
- 3/4 cup grated kefalotyri or Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in salted water until just al dente. Drain and toss with a drizzle of olive oil.
- Brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, about 7 minutes. Add onion and cook 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, cinnamon, allspice, oregano, salt, and pepper. Simmer 15 minutes until thick. Set aside.
- Make the béchamel: melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk. Cook, stirring constantly, until thick, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in nutmeg. Let cool 3 minutes, then whisk in egg yolks and half the cheese.
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Spread half the pasta in the dish. Top with all of the meat sauce. Layer the remaining pasta on top. Pour the béchamel evenly over everything. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
- Bake 40 to 45 minutes until the top is deep golden and the filling is bubbling. Rest 20 minutes before cutting into squares.
Notes
- Cinnamon in the meat sauce is the signature flavor of pastitsio — it is what makes it taste Greek rather than Italian.
- The béchamel needs to be thick, almost like a custard, to hold its shape when you cut squares. Thin béchamel will run.
- Like moussaka, the 20-minute rest is essential. This dish cuts into clean squares only after the layers have time to set.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 75 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Greek
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 530
- Sugar: 6
- Sodium: 780
- Fat: 24
- Carbohydrates: 48
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 32
- Cholesterol: 115