Greek Pastitsio (Baked Pasta with Ground Beef & Béchamel)

Name: Greek Pastitsio (Baked Pasta with Ground Beef & Béchamel)
Prep time: 120 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 180 min
Ingredients: 2.4 pounds ground beef (or a mix of beef and lamb or pork); 3 tablespoons olive oil (or vegetable oil); 1 large onion (grated or finely chopped); 1 carrot (grated); 2 bay leaves; 1 cinnamon stick; ¼ teaspoon ground cloves; 1 cup dry wine (white, rose, or red); ¼ cup tomato paste; 2 cups pureed tomatoes (canned or fresh); Salt and black pepper to taste; 1 pound pastitsio pasta No2; 1 ½ cups grated cheese (I use a mix of Greek Kefalotiri and Parmigiano Reggiano); 1.2 cups all-purpose flour; ½ cup olive oil (or butter); Freshly ground nutmeg (about ⅓ of a nutmeg seed); 1 ½ teaspoons fine salt; 6 cups whole milk; 2 large eggs; 1 ½ cups grated cheese (I use a mix of Greek Kefalotiri and Parmigiano Reggiano)

Modified: Jun 13, 2024 · Published: Jan 29, 2019 by Makos

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Don't miss this delicious baked pasta with ground beef and bechamel sauce, the Greek version of lasagna! The easy step-by-step guide for this Pastitsio recipe by a Greek cook, will make you an expert in Greek cuisine in no time.

A slice of pastitsio (Greek pasta bake) on a plate.

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📋 Pastitsio Ingredients
🔪 How to Make Pastitsio
👨‍🍳 Expert Tips
🎥Recipe Video
📖 Recipe

Pastitsio or Pastichio, is in the menu of almost every Greek restaurant, next to moussaka. However, it's not a traditional Greek food, as it first appeared in Greek cuisine at around 1940 when chef Nikolaos Tselementes introduced the recipe for bechamel sauce to Greek home cooks.

Its name probably comes from the Italian Pasticcio, a similar dish with many variations (such as pasticcio di pasta al forno, pasticcio di lasagne al ragù etc).

This is definitely not a quick recipe, but it's totally worth it! And if you're short of time, in the FAQ's section I give you some tips for how to make it ahead.

For more Greek dishes, make sure to check this Greek roasted goat (or lamb) leg recipe, this tasty and comforting Greek Youvetsi recipe (beef stew with orzo pasta baked in the oven) and this Baked chicken and potatoes in the oven with a lemon-garlic-oregano marinade.

😍 Why I love this Recipe

✓ This Greek pasta bake is one of the best comfort foods. Everyone will love you for making this. Think of mac 'n cheese but better!

✓ Show-stopper. This Greek pasta dish draws everyone's attention, from the moment it will appear on the dinner table to the moment you'll cut it and reveal those tasty layers.

✓ Big batch. You can feed a crowd with this recipe and if you have any leftovers, it freezes very well!

📋 Pastitsio Ingredients

To make this traditional Pastitsio (Greek lasagna recipe) you'll need the following ingredients:

Ingredients for Pastitsio (Greek pasta bake with ground beef and bechamel sauce).

Ground beef can sometimes be mixed with ground lamb or pork.

Cinnamon stick. Unless you absolutely hate cinnamon, it's a must!

Wine. I generally prefer white dry wine, but rose or red is fine too. In the video I had a bottle of red wine opened so I used that.

Pureed tomatoes. They can be fresh or canned. Depending on how sweet they are, you may need to add a pinch of sugar to balance the acidity.

Pastitsio Macaroni pasta No2. If you can't find this type of noodles, you can also use or bucatini or penne pasta. Just make sure to have a hole in the middle.

Grated cheese (like Kefalotyri cheese, Graviera or Parmesan cheese. No feta cheese please!)

🥣 Variations

Most commonly, Pastitsio is made with a layer of pasta, following by the layer of minced beef sauce, following by another layer of pasta and topped with the bechamel sauce.

A simpler way is to mix all the pasta and the meat sauce together inside the pot, transfer this mixture to the baking dish and top with the Bechamel.

🔪 How to Make Pastitsio

Follow this easy step-by-step guide to learn how to make the best, authentic Greek Pastitsio recipe:

Toasting the ground meat and breaking the lumps.

Step 1: Transfer the olive oil and the ground beef to a deep pot and sauté over high heat. Don't stir at first, let it brown on the one side and then stir with a wooden spoon and break any meat lumps.

Adding the vegetables and the spices to the ground beef sauce.

Step 2: Cook until all of the juices are evaporated, then reduce the heat to medium and add the onion and the carrot and stir for 5 minutes until the vegetables are soft and glossy. Then add the bay leaves, the cinnamon stick, the cloves, the salt, the black pepper and stir.

When adding the vegetables it's best to reduce the heat so as to not burn the onion.

Adding the wine and the pureed tomatoes to the ground beef.

Step 3: Add the wine, wait for 1 minute for the alcohol to evaporate and add the pureed tomatoes and the tomato paste. When it starts to boil, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook until almost all of the liquids are evaporated. Discard the bay leaves and the cinnamon stick.

The meat sauce is similar to this spaghetti sauce with ground beef (ragu Bolognese) but it’s usually made with less tomato and less liquids.

Step 4: Bring a large pot filled with salted water to a boil. Transfer the pasta in the pot and cook, until al dente (the pasta will continue to cook in the oven, so I boil it 3 minutes less than the time on the packaging).

Arranging the pasta in the casserole and adding the grated cheese.

Step 5: Briefly rinse the pasta with cold water, drain and transfer about two-thirds into a greased casserole dish. Add the grated cheese and gently mix or shake to distribute evenly.

Adding the ground beef over the pasta layer.

Step 6: Spoon the meat sauce over the pasta and level the surface with the back of the spoon. Then, arrange the remaining pasta over the meat.

Toasting the flour with the olive oil and adding the milk.

Step 7: Transfer the olive oil and the flour to a large pot and heat over medium/high heat, stirring constantly with a whisk until the flour starts to smell nutty.

Remove from the heat and add the milk gradually, whisking constantly to prevent it from forming any lumps. When all the milk is added, return to the stove and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the Bechamel sauce thickens.

Now is a good time to preheat your oven to 374°F (190°C).

Cooking the bechamel and adding the grated cheese and nutmeg.

Step 8: When it starts to bubble, remove from the heat and let it sit on your counter for 5 minutes to cool. Add the nutmeg, the salt and the grated cheese and stir to combine. Then add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition.

I make the béchamel (white sauce) with olive oil but you can also use butter. Make sure to cook the flour with the oil until it starts to smell nutty. This will give extra flavor to your sauce.

Pouring the bechamel sauce over the pasta and adding grated cheese on top.

Step 9: Pour the béchamel sauce over the pasta, level with a spatula and sprinkle the surface with the remaining grated cheese.

The baked Pastitsio inside the casserole.

Step 10: Bake for 50-60 minutes or until the top is golden brown with dark spots all over the surface. Let it rest for 30 minutes before slicing for easier serving.

👨‍🍳 Expert Tips

✤ The ideal ratios for the best Pastitsio is for all the layers to have approximately the same height. This means that the meat sauce, and the béchamel have to be plenty. No one likes a sad-looking, thin layer of bechamel sauce!

✤ Nutmeg is one of the most important bechamel ingredients, and cinnamon is traditionally used to flavor the ground beef sauce. Please don't skip these spices!

✤ Greeks often add a beef bouillon (or chicken) to the meat sauce for more flavor. You may want to reduce the salt if you follow this tip.

✤ The meat sauce should by on the dry side. Let it simmer over low heat until almost all of the liquid is evaporated. If you're in a hurry and the sauce is not fully ready yet, you can add 1-2 tablespoons of ground rusks, to absorb the extra liquid (cornstarch mixed with cold water will also do).

✤ Cook the pasta al dente. The pasta will continue cooking in the oven, so boil it for 2-3 minutes less than the directions on the packaging.

✤ Add some grated cheese to the pasta. Cheese will add flavor and will also act as a glue to bind the pasta together, holding each piece intact for prettier serving.

✤ When making the bechamel, toast the flour with the oil (or butter) until it starts to smell nutty. This gives flavor and eliminates the floury smell the béchamel can sometimes have.

A big slice of Pastichio (Greek lasagna) on the dinner table with a salad on the side.

What to serve with Pastitsio:

💭 FAQs

Can you make Pastitsio ahead?

Pastitsio is even better the next day, so you can make it one day ahead, store it in the refrigerator and gently reheat it the next day in the oven for 20 minutes. Cover it with aluminum foil for better results.
Alternatively, you can store the un-baked Pastitsio in the refrigerator and bake it for 1 hour the day you want to serve it.
Third option, is to prepare some of the components separately:
The meat sauce can be made 1 or 2 days ahead and kept in the fridge.
The bechamel sauce can be made 1 day ahead and kept in the fridge.
The pasta should be cooked on the same day.

What can I substitute for Pastitsio macaroni?

Traditionally, a type of hollow tubular pasta called Pastitsio macaroni pasta No.2 is used for this recipe in Greece, that's why you can find it in every Greek super market.
Alternatively, you can use thick bucattini pasta, which is another type of tubular pasta, like long and thick spaghetti with a hole in the middle. This whole chicken cacciatore stew recipe uses bucattini pasta. If you can't find bucattini, your next best option is penne pasta.

How long does it last?

This recipe will keep well for at least 3-4 days when stored in the fridge inside an airtight container. It is actually better the next day, and you can re-heat it in the microwaves or in the oven wrapped with foil.

Can you freeze Pastitsio?

Pastitsio freezes very well.
You can either freeze it before you bake it, or bake it first and then freeze some individual slices.
Freezing before baking: Make the pastitsio in one large casserole dish or two smaller ones. Let it cool completely (in case any of the different components is still warm), and wrap it with plastic wrap and then with aluminum foil (sprinkle the surface with grated cheese to ensure that the plastic wrap won't stick to the bechamel sauce). Store in the freezer and thaw the night before you plan to bake it.
Freezing the baked Pastitsio: Put individual slices if freezer safe containers, let them cool completely and store in the freezer. Thaw from the night before and warm in the microwaves or in the oven.

When is Pastitsio traditionally enjoyed in Greek culture?

Pastitsio can certainly be enjoyed as an everyday meal but because its preparation is time consuming, most often it's made on Sundays or for festive occasions.

Who is the father of Pastitsio?

Pastitsio is a relatively modern Greek recipe, created in the 50's by chef Nikolaos Tselementes who introduced French and European cuisine techniques to Greek households and is considered to be one of the greatest influencers of the urban Athenian cuisine.