Pastitsio - Greek pasta bake
Pastitsio - with layers of pasta, a rich cinnamon spiked red wine meat sauce topped with a thick layer of cheese sauce, this is Greece's answer to Italian Lasagna. Let the games begin!
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How to Make Pastitsio | Pastitsio Recipe | Nikki Glekas Modern Mediterranean
PASTITSIO
MAKES ONE LARGE 9’’X13’’ TRAY, about 12 servings
Preparation time: 45 minutes
Cook time: 45 to 55 minutes
This classic Greek comfort food is my husband’s favorite meal. It makes a large portion is great for family gatherings. I often make it on the weekend and we eat it for dinner a few times during the week.
For meat sauce:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
2 lbs ground beef (80/20)
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cinnamon sticks
1 teaspoon sea salt, more if needed
½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
6 oz. (3/4 cup) tomato paste
1 ½ fl oz, (or 3 tablespoons) brandy or cognac
For béchamel
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 tablespoons flour
2 cups cold whole milk
4 cups hot whole milk
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon white pepper
½ teaspoon nutmeg
2 large eggs, divided
1/3 cup of grated parmesan
For pasta
16 oz pastitsio pasta, or a thick noodle with a whole in the center like bucatini
Salted water for boiling
For assembling
16 oz pastitsio pasta, cooked to al dente
2 large eggs
2/3 cup parmesan cheese, divided
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup béchamel
Bring a large skillet to medium-high heat, add 3 tablespoons of olive oil along with your chopped onion.
Sauté onions for about 5 minutes or until translucent with the edges just starting to turn brown.
Lower the heat to medium and add in meat. Keep the meat moving in the pan to fully cook, about 5 minutes. Once cooked (browned with no pink), add in nutmeg, cinnamon stick, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Continue cooking for 7 to 9 minutes or until most moisture is gone from pan.
Move meat to one side of the pan, add in brandy and flambé until all liquor is cooked off, about 2 minutes.
Add tomato paste and fully combine. Once incorporated, add enough water (about 2 cups) to cover the meat and set on low to simmer for about 45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so. Most of the liquid should be cooked off.
While the meat sauce is simmering, prepare Béchamel. Add butter to a medium pot over medium heat. Once melted, add flour and whisk to keep moving until you smell a nutty aroma and the flour is a light toasted brown, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Slowly whisk in cold milk until a thick sauce is formed. Add in warm milk, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Continue slowly whisking until the sauce is a thick, pudding like consistency and coats the back of a spoon.
Remove sauce from heat. And very quickly whisk in two eggs (you must work quickly to ensure your eggs don’t scramble). Once fully incorporated, fold in 1/3 cup of parmesan.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. While oven is pre-heating, coat a 9 x 13” baking dish with cooking spray.
While your oven is pre-heating, bring a large pot of water to boil and season with salt. Cook noodles according to package directions, but to al dente as the pasta will continue cooking once assembled and in the oven (I usually cook one minute less then package suggests). Once cooked, drain pasta and pour into a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
In the bowl with your cooked noodles, stir in two eggs, 1/3 cup parmesan, 2 tablespoons butter, and 1 cup béchamel sauce. Toss to fully coat.
Add half of your noodles to the prepared baking dish, top with all of the meat sauce, and layer the remaining noodles on top.
Using a piece of parchment, place on top of your noodles to press mixture into pan, condensing the noodles and sauce together in a nice layer. This ensures there will be enough room for your remaining béchamel. Remove parchment and add the remaining béchamel in a nice, even layer. Top with remaining 1/3 cup of parmesan.
Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Let rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. This will ensure your béchamel is set.
Enjoy!
How to Make Pastitsio | Greek Recipes | Allrecipes.com
Get the recipe for Pastitsio II at:
Spoon up big portions of this hearty Greek classic to the acclaim of your friends and family—you’ll love how this recipe is designed to feed a crowd. Cooked ziti pasta is tossed with brown butter, Parmesan cheese, nutmeg, salt, pepper and eggs and layered in a baking dish with a meat sauce made with ground beef cooked with onion and garlic, tomato paste, red wine, broth and parsley. Finally, a rich béchamel joins all the ingredients along with extra Parmesan. Baked up bubbly, this dish is irresistible.
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Pastitsio Recipe ???????? • A Delicious Greek Style Lasagna! ???? - Episode 566
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This Dish Was Created By The Greek Gods Themselves | Pastitsio
Pastitsio is not just a simple greek recipe it's an entire experience in itself.
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Pastitsio Recipe:
1 pound bucatini pasta with 2 egg whites 2 big spoons of sauce and 1/4 of the cheese
1/4 cup olive oil
1 pound 80/20 ground beef (0.45 kg)
1 pound ground pork (0.45 kg)
1 large sweet onion medium dice
7 cloves garlic minced
1 cup red wine (240 ml)
28 oz canned tomatoes (800 grams) (I used San Marzano)
3 tbsp tomato paste
3/4 cup water
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp of ground cloves
2 tsp sea salt
2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
4 oz kefalotyri cheese (113 grams)
4 oz Parmigiana reggiano cheese (113 grams)
1/2 of cheese for béchamel sauce, 1/4 for pasta and 1/4 for top of béchamel
Bechamel recipe:
3.5 oz (100) grams of unsalted butter
3. oz (90 grams) all-purpose flour
4 cups (1,000 ml) whole milk
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp fresh ground white pepper
4 oz cheese (1/2 part Parmesan and 1/2 part kefalotyri cheese
3 egg yolks
1 tsp salt
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Pastitsio Recipe | How to Make Greek Pastitsio
Greek pastitsio (Pastichio) – a layer of pasta with cheese, layer of delicious meat mixture with tomato sauce and covered with third layer of rich béchamel sauce. This dish is also known as Greek lasagna and also remind moussaka (another amazing Greek dish). If you like to eat comfort food, this traditional Greek pastitsio is definitely worth a try.
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Ingredients:
For the pasta layer:
300g (10.5oz) Pasta
2 Eggs
140g (5oz) Feta cheese
1-2 tablespoons Olive oil
1 teaspoon Dried oregano
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
For the meat mixture:
1½ pound (700g) Ground beef
1 Onion, chopped
3 Garlic cloves, crushed
2 tablespoons Tomato paste
400g (14oz) Tomato sauce
1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
2 Bay leaves
1 teaspoon Thyme
1/2 cup (120ml) Red wine
2-3 tablespoons Olive oil
For the béchamel sauce:
1L Milk
120g Butter
120g Flour
1/4 teaspoon Salt
¼ teaspoon Pepper
1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
85g (3oz) Parmesan cheese
2 egg yolks
Directions:
1. Make the pasta layer: Cook the pasta to al dente according to package directions, drain. Let cool slightly, then add 2 eggs, chopped parsley, cheese, salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Transfer the pasta to a greased 13X9-inch (33X22cm) baking dish and set aside.
2. Meat mixture: Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add chopped onion, sauté for 3-4 minutes, add crushed garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes more. Add ground beef, cook, breaking it up, until no longer pink, about 5-6 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add red wine, cook, until alcohol evaporated. Add tomato sauce, bay leaves, cinnamon, salt, pepper and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until thickens. Remove bay leaves and set the meat mixture aside.
3. Béchamel sauce: In a large saucepan over medium heat melt the butter, add flour and whisk continuously, until smooth paste forms. Gradually add the warm milk while continually whisking to prevent lumps. Whisk until the sauce is smooth and thick. Remove from heat and add pinch salt, black pepper, nutmeg, parmesan and egg yolks, whisk until smooth.
4. Preheat oven to 350F (175C).
5. Assemble: add 4-5 tablespoons of the béchamel sauce to the meat mixture and mix until well combined. Spread meat mixture over the pasta layer. Pour béchamel sauce over the meat mixture and spread evenly. Grate some parmesan cheese on top.
6. Bake for 40 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Notes:
• Instead of red wine you can use beef broth.
• I used penne pasta but you can use any other pasta for this recipe.
• Pastitsio can be serve warm or cold, but after baking it is important to let it cool for at least 30 minutes.
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