Pastitsio - Greek Pasta Bake

Pastitsio is the name of the popular Greek Lasagna dish. This meaty pasta bake consists of layers of macaroni, spiced ground meat tomato sauce, and Greek bechamel cream topped with a cheesy crust!

Pastitsio which also comes under the name of Pasticho or Pastitso (as my grandma would pronounce it) and is actually pronounced Pa-sti-ch-i-o, is a scrumptious traditional Greek pasta dish.

Table Of Contents

• Pastitsio Ingredients
• How To Make
• Using Greek Macaroni
• The Ground Meat Sauce
• The Greek Bechamel Cream
• To Make It Gluten-Free
• Make Ahead
• Storing + Reheating
• Recipe

This Greek pasta bake and Moussaka, are the top two favorite dishes served on special occasions and get-togethers in Greece. Pastitsio is the ultimate family favorite though, since not all kids favor eggplant. But all kids love Pastitsio. I mean it's like saying you don't like ice cream, it's possible, but what are the chances right?

Pastitsio Ingredients

• Olive Oil
• Ground meat. Beef, pork, or both.
• Macaroni for Pastitsio No.2 (Greek Bucatini). You can use Penne or small Ziti instead.
• Tomato paste
• Diced tomatoes, you can use either canned or fresh ripe tomatoes
• Onion
• Garlic cloves
• Seasonings: bay leaf, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg
• Milk
• Butter
• Flour
• Eggs
• Greek Kefalotyri cheese: Pecorino, Parmesan, and Romano cheese are the best substitutes. A ripened hard Gruyere cheese also works well here.

How To Make

To make Greek Pastitsio begin with making the ground meat sauce. Then the Bechamel cream, and then boil the pasta. Finally, put everything together in layers.

Add a layer of macaroni at the bottom (reserving about ¼ of the macaroni for another layer). Next spread the ground meat sauce all over on top.

Add the reserved macaroni and coat with the Bechamel cream.

Sprinkle plenty of grated Kefalotyri cheese on top (Kefalotyri cheese substitutes are mentioned above) and you're ready to bake!

Using Greek Macaroni

• Boil the Greek Macaroni until al dente. We want it to retain a bite because it will cook even further in the oven and absorb the sauce.
• For a beautiful presentation try to arrange the Macaroni evenly facing towards one direction as much as possible.

The Ground Meat Sauce

The ground meat sauce for Pastitsio is flavored with delicious sweet spices (allspice, cloves, cinnamon) and lots of tomatoes both paste and diced tomatoes. It can be made with ground beef, pork, or a combination of both. I like adding half pork and half beef.

Think of when you make a Bolognese sauce and you add some chopped ham or bacon to it and it gives it such a delicious flavor. The same goes here. The pork adds flavor and its fat makes the sauce moister, and glazier (ground beef can be a bit too dry sometimes).

The Greek Bechamel Cream

The Greek Bechamel cream is made like classic Bechamel cream. Make a roux as a base (cook melted butter + flour) and add milk. The difference is the addition of eggs and cheese into the sauce as well as seasoning it with ground nutmeg. This adds a deliciously sweet feel to the cream and goes so well with the spiced ground meat sauce.

To Make It Gluten-Free

To make a gluten-free Pastitsio first swap the Macaroni for some brown rice penne. And second, make a gluten-free Greek Bechamel cream. Mix in a cooking pot 1.4 liter milk with 3 tablespoons butter, 5 tablespoons cornstarch, ⅓ teaspoon ground nutmeg, and cook over moderate heat until thickened.

NOTE: Make sure to dissolve the cornstarch into cold milk so it won't lump. Don't heat the milk first and then add the cornstarch.

Once the cream cools down for 5-10 minutes mix in 3 large eggs and 120 grams of Kefalotyri or other cheese substitute.

Make Ahead

To make Pastichio ahead of time you should know that a). the ground meat sauce keeps well for at least 3 days in the fridge. b). The Bechamel cream keeps well in the fridge until the next day (mix in the eggs and cheese on the day you bake it). This way you can plan ahead of time.

For example, you can make Pastitsio 3 days ahead. Make the ground meat sauce on the 1st day, cook the cream the next day, and cook the pasta on the third day, when you assemble and bake! I don't advise putting everything together and refrigerating. Because this will make the layers combine and look messy.

Storing + Reheating

Refrigerate leftover Pastichio for up to 3-4 days (depending on how cold your fridge is). This is if you cooked all the layers in one day. Otherwise, you should also take into account the days you kept the ground meat or cream in the fridge before baking the Pastitsio.

You can also freeze this Greek Pasta Casserole for up to a month. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in the microwave for 5-7 minutes covered with plastic wrap or in the oven covered with aluminum foil.

Recipe