If you’ve never tried the classic Greek Pastitsio then you’re missing out. The pasta, a tomato based meat sauce and bechamel topping lead some to call Pastitsio ‘Greek lasagna’ and while it has similar elements it is a dish all of its own.
And while it’s a little like a lasagna in most ingredients and assembly, this greek pasta bake has it’s own unique taste and it’s delicious.
In fact, it’s even easier to make Pastitsio than it is lasagne as there are only 3 layers. Why not start a Greek feast with these spanakopita triangles too.
This post was first published here on July 28th, 2019 and has been updated with a thicker bechamel layer.
Never Miss a Recipe!
Get the latest recipes straight to your inbox.
What is Pastitsio?
Greek Pastitsio (sometimes spelt pastichio or pasticcio) is a layered baked dish consisting of tubular pasta, meat sauce and béchamel sauce.
The pasta, which is mixed with egg white and cheese to bind it together is topped with a rich meat sauce then with creamy bechamel.
Ingredients notes
You may find some recipes suggesting lamb as the meat but, while lamb is a popular meat in Greece, many authentic pastitsio recipes say it should only use beef. Feel free to use your preference when it comes to the meat. I’ve tried with a ratio of 1:1 ground lamb and ground beef but I much prefer this beef version.
While a traditional pasticcio / pastitsio uses a specific Greek tube pasta (known as Bucatini pasta No2) and Greek Kefalotyri cheese, there are some easy swaps which I often make. If you can’t find the bucatini, you can use penne pasta (like I have in these photos) or ziti pasta. If you can’t get kefalotyri cheese, swap it for parmesan cheese or pecorino romano cheese instead.
You can swap the tomato passata for crushed tomatoes if you prefer. And if you love it, you can add ½ a cup of red wine and let it reduce by half right before adding the remaining sauce ingredients.
How to make pastitsio
Pastitsio is made up of 3 layers. While layered meals like this do take a little extra time, each step is very simple and the end result is so worth it.
Jump to the recipe card for full ingredients and instructions.
1. Cook the meat sauce
Start by cooking some mushrooms in a little oil until they start to get a bit golden (they’re much more flavourful this way). Add the onion, garlic and capsicum and saute just until it’s softened a little before adding the meat.
Brown the meat all over, then add the remaining sauce ingredients and spices. Give it a good stir with a wooden spoon and let it simmer on low until the sauce is thick and coating everything.
Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until just barely done – check it regularly towards the end of the cooking time so that it doesn’t end up too soft. It will soften a little more once it’s baked plus if it’s cooked until super soft it’ll collapse when layered.
2. For the creamy béchamel sauce
Melt some butter in a large saucepan, then add the flour and mix it well. Let it cook and bubble while constantly stirring it for about a minute before dribbling the milk in slowly.
Keep whisking constantly while adding the milk. It will start out looking a bit lumpy, like below, but just keep whisking and adding the milk slowly and it will eventually become nice and smooth.
Heat the mixture for 3-4 minutes until it gets nice and thick then add some salt, pepper and parmesan.
Add a couple of spoonfuls of the bechamel to egg yolks, mix it up, then add it all back into the pot of bechamel and whisk it together
3. Assemble the pastitsio
Mix the pasta with one egg white, a little kefalotyri cheese or parmesan and a bit of the bechamel sauce then press it into the bottom of a baking dish.
Tip the meat sauce over the top and level it out.
Pour the bechamel over that and level it out, then bake for around 40 minutes until the top is golden.
Tips to make the best pastitsio
- It’s important to temper the egg yolks before adding into the bechamel. Tempering just means you are lifting the temperature of the egg yolks slowly rather than heating them too quickly and making them scramble. To temper the yolks, just add a couple of spoonfuls of the hot bechamel to them, mix well then add it into the whole pan of remaining hot bechamel.
- Let the separate components cool a little before you try to layer up the dish.
- Let the baked Pastitsio sit for 15 minutes before cutting into it as it allows the layers to set nicely and stay defined. Don’t worry, it’ll still be hot when you serve.
- You can make both the meat sauce and the pasta layer a day ahead, leaving the bechamel until you’re ready to bake the dish.
Storage
Leftovers should be stored in the fridge in an airtight container or just wrap the dish well with plastic wrap. It will keep for 3-4 days.
You can freeze the Greek pastitsio before baking to have it ready for another time. Wrap it well in plastic wrap, then freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw before baking which could take up to 36 hours in the fridge.
Since first photographing this post, and in line with some reader recommendations, the bechamel recipe has been doubled so following the recipe below, yours will be thicker than mine in these images. Pastitsio should have a nice thick layer of bechamel.
This Pastitsio makes a wonderfully comforting meal that can easily feed a crowd. Full of rich flavours, it can be scaled for larger gatherings and makes great leftovers too.
More recipes you’ll love
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Did you try this Greek pastitsio recipe? Show it some love in the comments below.
Hungry for more?
- Subscribe via Email, Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram.
- Add Sugar Salt Magic as a Google Preferred Source.
Ingredients
- 250 g pastitsio noodles (or use dried penne pasta) (~9oz) (notes 2)
FOR THE MEAT SAUCE
- 1 ½ cups sliced mushrooms
- ½ small onion finely diced
- 2 large cloves garlic minced
- ½ large red capsicum finely diced
- 500 g beef mince (~1lb)
- 1 ⅓ cups tomato passata (puree) (400ml)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste (notes 1)
- ½ cup fresh parsley, lightly packed, roughly chopped
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup water (60ml)
FOR THE BECHAMEL
- 170 g butter (6oz / 1½ sticks)
- ¾ cup plain flour (all purpose flour) (95g/~3oz)
- 4 cups whole milk
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 ½ cups finely grated kefalotyri cheese (or parmesan cheese) not packed (notes 3)
- 2 large eggs
For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200C (180C fan forced) / 395F.
- Boil 6 cups of water with a tablespoon of salt. Once boiling add your pasta and let it boil away until just cooked (notes 3). Drain and tip into a roughly 9×12 inch baking dish.
- FOR THE MEAT SAUCE:In a large skillet / frying pan, cook the mushrooms in ½ tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat until they start to colour. Add the onion, garlic and capsicum and cook for a further 3-4 minutes until starting to soften.
- Add the mince and cooking, turning regularly, until browned all over.
- Add the remaining meat sauce ingredients tomato passata (puree), tomato paste, parsley, cinnamon, salt, oregano and pepper. Then rinse the passata bottle with the water and add that too.
- Mix well, then turn right down to very low and simmer, stirring every so often, for around 10-15 minutes until the sauce has thickened and is no longer pooling.
- FOR THE BECHAMEL: Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat (you can use the pasta pan after the pasta has been cooked and drained).
- Add the flour and whisk well. Cook for a minute or so whisking to keep it smooth.
- Gradually add in the milk while continuing to whisk until it is all added and you have a smooth white sauce. Let this cook on low for around 3-5 minutes until thickened and it coats the back of a spoon.
- Take it off the heat. Set aside ⅓ cup of the parmesan and add the rest to the bechamel. Add the salt and pepper. Whisk until smooth.
- Separate the eggs into 2 small bowls. Add a couple of spoonfuls of the hot bechamel to the yolks and quickly whisk together. Add the yolk mixture back to the bechamel in the saucepan and mix well to combine.
- TO ASSEMBLE:Let everything cool for 10 minutes before assembling.
- Tip the pasta into your casserole dish. Add one egg white, ¼ cup of the bechamel sauce and the reserved ⅓ cup of parmesan. Mix it well to combine, then level the pasta out and press down to flatten it a little.
- Pour all the meat sauce over the pasta and level out.
- Pour the bechamel sauce over the top of the meat and level out.
- Bake for around 40 minutes until golden on top.
- Let the pastitsio cool for 15 minutes before serving to get nice square serves.
- Please take a moment to leave a comment & rating. It's appreciated and so helpful.
Notes
- Tablespoons: I use a standard Australian 20ml tablespoon (equal to 4 teaspoons). Check yours before measuring.
- Pastitisio noodles are also called Bucatini pasta No2. They’re generally a long pasta which is hollow through the centre. Penne pasta, ziti pasta or a thin style rigatoni will work well in it’s place. I most often use penne since it’s so readily available.
- Kefalotyri cheese is a Greek cheese and the traditional cheese used in pastitsio, however parmesan cheese or even pecorino romano cheese will work well in it’s place.
- The pasta should be cooked through but only just. It will soften slightly more in the oven but if you cook it too soft in the water, it will then collapse in the pastitsio.
- For the bechamel, you can use whole milk or light (2%) milk. Both will work fine.
This post may contain affiliate links that earn me a small commission for my referral, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting Sugar Salt Magic.
14 Comments on “Greek Pastitsio”
A very nice change from making Lasagna. While it does take a bit of time, the result is worth it and the meal is large and hearty. Delicious. I love your detailed illustrations for each step (as usual), which are so useful. Thank you. H.
You’ve no idea how happy it makes me to hear this, Helen. I’m so glad you love it and the step by step shots.
Looks yummy
Sure is, Laurel.
Delicious meal. Good way to get kids eating veggies too. Another winner to add to our meal plan 😊
So happy you all loved it Naomi.
What would be a good substitute for the capsicum?
Hi Barbie, zucchini or diced carrot or a combination of those might work nicely.
Marie, this looks incredibly amazing!!!!
Thank you so much 🙂
I love a good baked pasta, and Pastitsio is one of those recipes. It tastes very traditional (In a good way), but it is also so elegant, comforting, and hearty (Needless to say delicious). I haven’t made it for a couple of years indeed, so thank you for such a delightful reminder!
Thanks so much Ben and you’re welcome 🙂 It really is a comforting dish
This looks really hearty, comforting and delicious. The bechamel sauce sounds absolutely amazing! I can imagine this being perfect for weekly meal prep and so easy too.
It’s great for meal prep for sure. Thanks so much Trang