Pastitsio | TasteToronto

Pastitsio

30 mins Prep Time

1 hours 15 mins Cook Time

Written By

Vicky Tran

Pastitsio is a delicious Greek dish consisting of pasta (usually penne or ziti) baked with ground meat and béchamel sauce. It is often heralded as the "Greek lasagna" for its similarity in composition to its Italian contemporary, but make no mistake, it is distinctively its own dish and deserves its own space. With its savoury cinnamon-spiked meat sauce and creamy béchamel topping, it's no surprise that other variations of this dish exist in Egyptian and Maltese cuisines. I like the deeper robust meaty flavour from using both ground beef and lamb in this recipe, but if you find lamb too gamey, use all ground beef. I tend to make this well in advance of when I plan to consume because not only does it still taste good, once you give the béchamel and pasta a chance to set up, you get those beautifully layered and dreamy looking cut out squares.

Ingredients

Pastitsio

1 1/2 pounds penne pasta cooked until al dente, drained and tossed lightly in olive oil
2 cups whole milk, warmed
1 1/2 cups Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 whole eggs, beaten
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
Kosher salt, to taste

Meat Sauce

1 pound lean ground beef
1 pound lean ground lamb
1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups crushed tomatoes
1 cup red wine
1 cup beef stock
1/3 cup tomato paste
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 bay leaf
Kosher salt, to taste
Fresh cracked black pepper, to taste

Directions

Pastitsio

9 Steps

Step 1

Start by preparing your meat sauce. In a large skillet or sauce pot, add in the olive oil and begin browning the ground beef and ground lamb on high heat until cooked through (approximately 7-8 minutes). Use the back of a wooden spoon to break up all large chunks of meat.
Step 2

Once the meat has been browned, turn the heat down to medium, add in the diced onions as well as the minced garlic and cook for about 2-3 minutes until the onions have softened. Season with salt and pepper.
Step 3

Add in the tomato paste, ground cinnamon, dried oregano and bay leaf, cook for an additional 2 minutes.
Step 4

Deglaze with the red wine and cook until the red wine has almost completely reduced.
Step 5

Add in the beef stock and crushed tomatoes, simmer for about 20-30 minutes until the sauce has reduced by about half. Set aside.
Step 6

Now prepare the béchamel sauce. In a medium sauce pot over medium heat, melt the butter and then add in the flour, stirring the entire time until a smooth paste forms. Allow this to cook for about 1 minute, stirring the entire time. Gradually add in the warmed milk, continuing to stir the entire time until all of the milk has been incorporated and the sauce is smooth.
Step 7

Then stir in the cream, nutmeg, grated Parmigiana-Reggiano, as well as beaten eggs, mix until even and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
Step 8

Preheat the oven to 375°F degrees and begin to assemble the pastitsio. Combine the cooked penne pasta with approximately 1/4 of the meat sauce, mix until even and spread in the bottom of a 9“ x 13“ casserole dish. Next, layer the remainder of the meat sauce evenly, then top with an even layer of the béchamel sauce. Bake for 30-40 minutes until the sides are bubbling and the top is golden brown (it may be necessary to broil for 1-2 minutes after baking to achieve appropriate brownness on the top).
Step 9

Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 15-20 minutes or until set before serving.

Ingredients

Pastitsio

1 1/2 pounds penne pasta cooked until al dente, drained and tossed lightly in olive oil
2 cups whole milk, warmed
1 1/2 cups Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 whole eggs, beaten
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
Kosher salt, to taste