Pastitsio - Greek lasagna is delicious classic comfort food with layers of creamy, rich béchamel sauce, a heartwarming beef ragù sauce, and fat spaghetti pasta.
Pastitsio is the kind of food if you had to describe it as an act would be a "good old bear hug". It's a fussy dish that can wreak havoc in your kitchen when you make it, especially if you are not an organized cook. But the end result is SO rewarding with your fork cutting through the layers of rich béchamel sauce, beef ragù, and tender pasta creating the perfect bite.
It's the epitome of Greek comfort food. Like the Ancient Greeks used to say: Go big or go home. 😉
What is Pastitsio?
Pastitsio can be called the Greek lasagna due to the similarities between the two dishes. It has layers of creamy rich béchamel sauce, a heartwarming beef ragù sauce, and pasta. Traditionally a hollow “fat” pasta noodle is used that is a perfect vehicle for sauces and serves as a great base for baked casseroles like macaroni and cheese.
Ingredients
I love to use some pancetta or bacon in the beef ragù. I also add, apart from onions, some diced carrots & celery, and fresh herbs. The white sauce is a classic thicker béchamel. Sometimes Greek cooks like to add eggs to their béchamel, I choose not to. I like to add 2 eggs beaten with fresh herbs and some crumbled feta on top of the pasta when I layer the dish.
- Ground beef
- Bacon or pancetta
- Onions
- Carrots diced
- Fresh herbs like thyme and oregano
- Garlic
- Chopped tomatoes
- Better Than Bouillon Roasted Chicken base
- Tomato paste
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Ground nutmeg
- Chili flakes
- Sea salt
- Pepper
Place a medium pan over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Cook the bacon until crisp. Remove from pan to a plate and set aside. (Image 1)
Add the diced onion. Sauté for 1 minute. Add the celery and carrots. Add 1 tablespoon of the chicken base. Stir and sauté for 1-2 min. (Image 2)
Add the ground meat. Brown for 4-5 minutes. Break it up with a wooden spoon into smaller pieces as it browns. (Image 3)
Add the tomatoes, nutmeg, thyme leaves, and bacon pieces. Check if there is enough water, you might need to add a little bit. Turn the heat down to low and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the sauce reduces and the meat is cooked. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. (Image 4)
Brush your baking pan with a little butter.
When the pasta is ready, drain well and spread evenly in the pan. Lightly beat the 2 eggs, add the chopped thyme and crumbled feta cheese, and mix well. Spread egg mixture all over the pasta, make sure it goes all over from side to side. (Image 5)
Spread the beef ragu over the pasta. Set aside until needed. (Image 6)
(Image 7) Heat the butter in a pot over medium heat. As soon as it melts, start adding the flour gradually while beating with a hand whisk continuously.
Add milk while whisking to avoid any lumps forming. As you add more of the milk, the bechamel sauce will become more creamy than thick. When you feel it's ready, remove it from heat and add the grated cheese. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Pour the bechamel sauce over the ragu. Sprinkle the reserved grated cheese all over the top. Sprinkle some chili flakes on top if you like. (Image 8)
Bake for 40 minutes or until the top turns golden brown. (Image 9)
Pastitsio is a lovely representation of traditional Greek comfort food. I hope you will enjoy this recipe as much as we do!
- I use LOI pasta or MISKO No 5. Feel free to substitute the macaroni pasta with penne. It will work just fine.
- You can use any kind of ground meat you like. My preference is just ground beef or a mix of beef and sausage.
- Substitute a bouillon cube (with sustainable palm oil) with ½ cup water for the stock base. You can also use ½ cup of stock. Chicken, beef or vegetable is fine.
- Make a vegetarian pastitsio by using lentils or mushrooms instead of meat in the ragù sauce.
You may also like:
- This beef ragú pasta is slow cooked to allows flavors to develop and really shine.
- Try the butternut squash pasta, it has all the fall flavors we love.
- This incredible sweet potato moussaka is a twist on the classic Greek dish.
Check out my Greek pantry staples
Cooked this? Rate this recipe! You can also leave a comment below. I love hearing from you!
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Pastitsio ( Greek pasta bake)
Ingredients
for the beef ragù
- 1.5 lb ground beef
- 8 oz bacon cut in pieces
- 1 onion diced
- 1 celery diced
- 1 carrots diced
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 14 oz tomatoes chopped
- 1 tablespoon Better than bouillon Roasted Chicken Base or a chicken bouillon or vegetable with half cup water
- 1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- sea salt
- freshly ground pepper
for the bechamel sauce
- 1 cup parmesan cheese grated
- 4 cups whole milk
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
- sea salt
for the pasta
- ⅔ box fat macaroni pasta such as Loi pasta or Misko No3
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1 cup Greek feta cheese crumbled
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- a handful fresh thyme chopped
You will also need
- ½ cup parmesan cheese grated, to sprinkle on top before baking.
- 1-2 tablespoons butter to butter the pan
- all-purpose flour extra in case you need to thicken the bechamel.
- red chili flakes to sprinkle on top before baking and for serving
Instructions
make the beef ragu
- Place a medium pan over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Cook the bacon until crip. Remove from pan to a plate and set aside.
- Add the diced onion. Sauté for 1 minute. Add the celery and carrots. Add 1 tablespoon of the chicken base. Stir and sauté for 1-2 min.
- Add the ground meat. Brown for 4-5 minutes. Break it up with a wooden spoon to smaller pieces as it browns.
- Add the tomatoes, nutmeg, thyme leaves and bacon pieces. Check if there is enough water, you might need to add a little bit. Turn the heat down to low and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the sauce reduces and the meat is cooked. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
make the pasta
- Cook the pasta all dente.
- Brush your baking pan with a little butter.
- When the pasta is ready, drain well and spread in the pan.
- Lightly beat the 2 eggs, add the chopped thyme and crumbled feta cheese and mix well. Spread egg mixture all over the pasta, make sure it goes all over from side to side.
- In the baking pan containing the pasta mixture spread the beef ragu over the pasta.
- Set aside until needed.
make the bechamel sauce
- Heat the butter in a pot over medium heat. As soon as it melts, start adding the flour gradually while beating with a hand whisk continuously.
- Add milk while whisking to avoid any lumps forming. As you add more of the milk, the bechamel sauce will become more creamy than thick. When you feel it's ready, remove from heat and add the grated cheese. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
Finish assembly
- Preheat oven to 350 F.Pour the bechamel sauce evenly over the ragu. Sprinkle the grated parmesan cheese all over the top. Bake for 40 minutes or until the top turns golden brown.
Notes
- I always keep more milk and flour around than I might actually need just in case an adjustment in the thickness of the sauce is needed.
- Let pastitsio sit for 30 min before serving. It will be easier to cut and serve.
- Pair a piece of pastitsio with a green salad with balsamic vinaigrette dressing. Enjoy!
Nutrition
