My very best Greek Pastitsio recipe (Pastichio)! This is my authentic “Greek Lasagna” recipe for you to make this traditional delight just like my grandma used to make it!
What is Greek Pastitsio / Pastichio?
The simplest way to describe what is Pastitsio is a Greek version of Lasagna! The traditional pastitsio / Pasticcio recipe has a deep layer of tubular pasta, a delicious, aromatic beef ragu and is topped off with a thick and velvety béchamel sauce.
This is the ultimate Greek comfort food, along with the legendary traditional Greek Moussaka of course!
Pastitsio recipe – Greek Lasagna with Béchamel sauce in a pan
How to make traditional Greek Pastitsio?
This easy to follow Greek pastitsio recipe can be summarised in three simple steps:
Prepare the Pastitsio pasta
Prepare the meat sauce
Prepare the béchamel sauce
In the sections below I’ll take you through each one of these in more detail so you can easily make the very best pastitsio on your first try! Truth is that the whole process will require dirtying some pans, but the end result is well worth it!
Greek Pastitsio ready to bake
Greek Pastitsio recipe – Prepare the pasta
The authentic Greek Pastitsio recipe is made with bucatini pasta, a thick pasta like spaghetti with a hole running through the center. This pasta is what is used to make Pastitsio in almost every Greek household or restaurant.
However sourcing bucatini pasta abroad can be a bit tricky, so a more convenient alternative that you can readily find at your local supermarket is penne pasta and ziti.
There are two little tips that make all the difference when preparing the pastitsio pasta. Firstly, boil the pasta for the pastitsio 2-3 minutes less than the package instructions. Your pasta will also cook when the dish is baked in the oven, so if you cook them fully on their own they will turn out mushy!
Secondly mix the boiled pasta with crumbled feta cheese and a the whites from two eggs. The feta cheese will give your pasta a delicious tang while the egg whites will help the pasta stay together when your pastitsio is cut!
Pasta for Greek Pastitsio
Greek Pastitsio recipe – Prepare the meat sauce
Greek pastitsio (pastichio/pasticcio/Pastizio) owes its distinctive and rich flavour to the two aromatic spices used in the meat sauce. These are nothing else than cinnamon and clove! Once put in the oven, the intense aromas of those spices bring back so many childhood memories!
To prepare the pastitsio meat sauce start by heating up a large pan on medium/high heat, add the olive oil, the chopped onions and sauté until the onions are translucent. Add the beef, tomato paste, garlic and break it up to small chunks using a wooden spoon.
Let it simmer until its nicely browned and cooked through. Then proceed to deglaze the pan with the wine, add the tomatoes and spices and season with some salt and pepper. Let it simmer for a while until the sauce has reduced and has barely any liquid left in it. Finally taste it and add some more salt & pepper to taste if needed!
Greek Pastitsio Meat Sauce
Greek Pastitsio recipe – Prepare the Béchamel sauce
The perfect béchamel sauce for your pastitsio should be smooth, thick and creamy. To achieve the perfect texture the key is to add the lukewarm milk a little bit at a time whilst constantly stirring with a whisk. Whisk the sauce constantly, allow the flour to absorb the milk and add some more until the milk is used up. That way your sauce will turn out incredibly smooth and creamy!
Secondly be careful to set your stove to medium to low heat so that your bechamel sauce doesn’t burn and doesn’t stick on the bottom of the pan!
Finally, once you add the grated cheese to your béchamel it will thicken up a little bit. So keep that in mind to achieve the right texture. At that point give your bechamel a taste and add some salt. It will lift the flavour and make your bechamel taste simply divine!
Greek Pastitsio Bechamel Sauce
Can this Greek Pastitsio recipe be made in advance?
Making Greek Pastitsio can be a bit time consuming, so sometimes you will need to prepare it in advance. If you like to prepare pastitsio in advance, you can prepare all its components above and assemble it the previous night. Let it cool down completely, cover it with some cling film and put it in the fridge. The next day put it straight in the oven and bake it! Just remember to let it cool down before cutting it up.
Alternatively you can prepare the whole pastitsio and bake the day before, let it cool down, wrap in cling film and store in the fridge. When its time to serve, pop it in the oven for 20 minutes at 150C/300F to reheat it, cut it up and serve immediately.
Can you freeze baked Pastitsio / Pasticcio?
This pastitsio recipe can also be cooked in advance and frozen in individual portions. Truth is that sometimes you will end up with leftovers, as this recipe makes for a generous baking tray! Let your pastitsio cool down completely, cut it up in pieces and place it in sealed plastic containers and then in the freezer.
To serve it, thaw in the fridge the night before, heat your oven to 150C/300F and warm it up for 20-30 minutes until warm throughout. It will taste as good as fresh!
What goes well with it?
I love serving my pastitsio with a refreshing Greek feta salad, or a Greek Orzo Salad (Orzo feta salad) and some greek country style crusty bread. You don’t need anything else as this dish is pure perfection on its own!
Description
The Best Greek Pastitsio recipe (Pastichio)! An authentic Greek Lasagna recipe to recreate this traditional delight just like my grandma used to make it.
Ingredients
Base Ingredients
450g/ 15oz. bucatini pasta, penne or ziti
110g/ 4oz. feta cheese
2 egg whites
For the meat sauce
900g/ 30oz. lean ground beef
2 medium sized red onions (finely chopped)
2 cloves of garlic (chopped)
400g/ 14oz. canned chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp sugar
150ml/ 5 fl.oz. red wine
1 bay leaf
1 cinnamon stick
1 whole clove
1/4 of a cup olive oil
2 teaspoons sea salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
For the bechamel
120g/ 4.3 oz. plain flour
120g/ 4.3 oz. butter
1000ml/ 34 oz. milk
2 egg yolks
50g/ 1.7oz. Kefalotyri or Parmigiano-Reggiano
a pinch of nutmeg
salt to taste
50g/ 1.7oz. Kefalotyri or Parmigiano-Reggiano to sprinkle
Enjoy.
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