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Pastitsio – Greek Lasagna with Béchamel

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Jenny Skrapaliori-Graves | Last Updated: August 1, 2026

Side view of a pastitsio slice showing three layers: tubular pasta, beef ragù, and golden béchamel

Pastitsio is Greece’s answer to lasagna — and honestly, I think we win. Layers of thick tubular pasta, a slow-simmered beef ragù scented with cinnamon, and a blanket of creamy béchamel baked until golden. Cut into it and you get those three perfect stripes in every slice. This is the pastitsio I grew up eating in Greece, made the way Greek home cooks actually make it with no shortcuts, and no “Mediterranean-inspired” anything.

It’s a Sunday dish, a name-day dish, the dish your mom makes when the whole family is coming. And like the Ancient Greeks used to say: Go big or go home.

If you love our Pastitsio, you will also love Moussaka casserole, Makaronia me Kima-Pasta with Ground Beef Sauce or Greek Style Chicken Bolognese!

Side view of a pastitsio slice showing three layers: tubular pasta, beef ragù, and creamy golden béchamel

What is pastitsio?

Pastitsio (παστίτσιο, pronounced pah-STEE-tsee-oh) is a baked Greek pasta dish with three layers: long tubular pasta, a rich ground beef sauce with tomato and warm spices, and a thick béchamel on top that turns golden in the oven. You’ll also see it spelled pastichio or pasticcio — same glorious dish.

People call it Greek lasagna, and the comparison makes sense: layers, meat sauce, creamy topping. But pastitsio is its own thing. The pasta is thick, hollow bucatini-style noodles laid in one direction — not flat sheets — so when you slice it, you see the tubes lined up like little soldiers. The meat sauce carries cinnamon and nutmeg instead of Italian herbs. And the béchamel layer is tall, enriched with egg yolks and cheese, closer to a custard than a sauce.

The dish took its modern form in the 1920s, when the famous Greek chef Nikolaos Tselementes gave it the French-style béchamel topping we know today. Every Greek family has their version and this one is mine. Enjoy!

Why you will love pastitsio

  • It’s the real Greek method. Milk infused with bay leaf, kefalotiri cheese, cinnamon in the ragù, egg yolks in the béchamel. This is how it’s made in Greek kitchens, not a “pastitsio-inspired casserole.”
  • The layers actually hold. Cheese tossed through the pasta, a properly reduced meat sauce, and a béchamel thick enough to slice. You get clean, beautiful layers in every piece, not a collapsed pile.
  • It feeds a crowd and loves the freezer. One pan serves 8, and pastitsio freezes and reheats beautifully, baked or unbaked. It might be the best make-ahead dish in all of Greek cooking.
  • Better than lasagna. There, I said it. The cinnamon-scented beef and that tall custardy béchamel top do something lasagna simply cannot.
Authentic Greek pastitsio slice served on a plate next to a bottle of red wine

Here is what you need

for the meat sauce and pasta

Ingredients to make pastitsio on a wood board.
  • Long tubular pasta. The tubular “fat” pasta noodle used for pastitsio is a perfect vehicle for sauces and an excellent base for pasta-baked casseroles. In the USA, you can find pastitsio LOI pasta in many supermarkets. Greek pasta like Melissa or MISKO No 5 are available in Greek markets. Feel free to substitute with penne or rigatoni. Both will work just fine.
  • Ground beef.
  • Onion.
  • Oregano, fresh, or dried or both.
  • Tomatoes and tomato paste. My go-to tomatoes are authentic San Marzano.
  • Kefalotiri cheese. Grated. This is a salty, hard cheese Greeks use with pasta. You can also use pecorino romano, it is the easy US substitute.
  • Extra virgin olive oil, nutmeg, cinnamon, sea salt and freshly ground pepper

for the white sauce

Milk, eggs, flour, a bay leaf, sea salt and grated gruyere cheese on a wood board.
  • Butter
  • All-purpose flour
  • Whole milk.
  • Bay leaf.
  • Gruyère cheese, grated. In Greece I use Graviera, the Greek equivalent to gruyère.
  • Egg yolks from medium size eggs.
  • Ground nutmeg and sea salt.

Substitutions: No Greek pasta? Penne, rigatoni, or bucatini all work. No kefalotiri? Pecorino romano or parmesan. No gruyère? Use more kefalotiri or parmesan. Ground lamb or a beef-lamb mix is also wonderful here.

Love bakes pasta dishes? Try our Greek Mac and Cheese, and Eggplant Lasagna with Béchamel.

How to make this pastitsio

Make the beef ragu

Ground beef browning in a skillet.
  1. Place a wide large skillet on the stove over high heat, without any oil. When skillet is hot add the ground meat. Using a wooden spoon, break the meat as it browns. Brown while breaking and stirring constantly for 5-6 minutes, until the ground beef is well browned all over.
Ground beef and a dollop of tomato paste browning in a skillet.

2. Add the onion, and olive oil to the skillet and continue sautéing for another 1-2 minutes. 

Ground beef, diced onion and tomato paste browning in a skillet.

3. Add the tomato paste and stir. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Scrape the burnt bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon as you stir. 

Meat sauce in a skillet with oregano leaves.

4. Add the tomatoes, cinnamon, nutmeg, and fresh oregano leaves, and stir. Lower the heat and cook the beef for about 30 minutes, until it’s tender and all its juices have evaporated. 

Meat sauce in a skillet with a wooden spoon.

5. Leave the meat to cool. Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

Make the pasta

Tubular thick spaghetti and a hand holding a pair of scissors cutting it
  1. Boil the pasta in plenty of salted boiling water for 8 minutes, until tender. Drain pasta well and place it back in the pot. Add the butter and toss.
  2. With kitchen scissors, cut the pasta here and there into smaller pieces, so that they are not too long. Shorter pieces mean every slice cuts cleanly instead of dragging whole noodles out.
Tubular thick spaghetti with grated cheese in a pan.

8. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of kefalotiri cheese and toss pasta.

Make the white sauce

Milk and a bay leaf in a pot

9. Heat the milk slowly in a saucepan with the fresh bay leaf. 

Milk poured on a roux and a hand with a whisk.
  1. Melt the butter over medium-low heat in a deep saucepan. Pour in the flour all together and continue to mix on medium to low heat. 
  2. Continue stirring for 3-4 minutes on low heat to cook the flour without darkening.
  3. Pour in the milk and the bay leaf. Increase the heat a little and continue stirring nonstop to gradually dissolve the lumps that form. You can’t avoid lumps; they will dissolve with continuous stirring. It doesn’t need to be perfect, do the best you can.
White sauce, ground nutmeg and a whisk.

13. Add the nutmeg. Simmer the sauce over low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring often. It will thicken. 

Grated cheese poured in a white sauce and a whisk.

14. Add the gruyere cheese and immediately remove the sauce from the heat. Stir again well.  

Poring a yolk in white sauce and a whisk.

15. Throw in the yolks and continue mixing with the whisk. 

Assemble

  1. Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F.
Greed cheese in meat sauce with a wooden spoon.

17. Right before assembling add ½ cup of grated kefalotiri cheese in the meat sauce and stir.

White sauce poured on pasta and meat sauce.
  1. Lay the pasta in a rectangular lasagna pan.
  2. Layer all the meat sauce on top of the pasta. 
  3. Finally, pour the béchamel on top and smooth the surface with a spatula.
The top of pastitsio, with white sauce, grated cheese and breadcrumbs, ready for the oven
  1. Top pastitsio with the breadcrumbs and grated gruyere cheese.
  2. Bake the pastitsio for about 60 minutes, until it forms a smooth and golden crust on top.
  3. Let it cool for 15 minutes at least and serve.
Pastitsio casserole with pieces taken out of the pan.

My tips for perfect pastitsio

  • Brown the meat in a dry, hot pan. No oil at first — the meat browns instead of steaming, and those browned bits are pure flavor.
  • Make extra béchamel. Trust me on this. Leftover white sauce over fried potatoes or steak with black pepper is a gift to your future self.
  • Let it rest 30 minutes before cutting. I know. But this is the difference between clean layered slices and a delicious mess.
  • Perfectionist move: pass the béchamel through a fine sieve before pouring.
A tall slice of Greek pastitsio on a white plate with fresh herbs and a bottle of Greek wine behind

What to serve with pastitsio

Pastitsio is a rich, hearty dish and pairs well with a leafy green salad like our maroulosalata. Add a couple of slices of warm bread with dipping olive oil, marinated olives with feta and you are all set for an unforgettable meal.

Storage, freezing & reheating

  • In the fridge: Cover and refrigerate baked pastitsio for up to 3 days.
  • To reheat from the fridge: Individual slices: microwave 2 minutes, or cover with foil and warm in a 180°C / 350°F oven for about 20 minutes. Whole pan: cover with foil and reheat at 180°C / 350°F for 30–40 minutes, until hot in the center.
  • To freeze unbaked: Assemble, wrap the pan tightly in heavy-duty foil, label and date it, freeze up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, covered, at 180°C / 350°F for about 1½ hours, uncovering for the last 20 minutes to brown the top.
  • To freeze baked: Cool completely, wrap tightly, freeze up to 3 months — individual slices in freezer containers make the easiest weeknight dinners. Reheat covered at 180°C / 350°F for about 1 hour (whole pan) or 25–30 minutes (slices).
A piece of pastitsio in a yellow plate with a fork with a bite of the casserole.

FAQ

You can refrigerate it for up to three days. It must be covered with a transparent film on the surface of the sauce so that it does not form a crust.

You can’t avoid lumps forming from the flour. Whisking constantly helps dissolve the lumps. If you’re a perfectionist, pass the white sauce through a fine sieve, pressing it with a wooden spoon so that the tiniest clumps of flour don’t remain.

Tubular pasta is hollow through the center, like a tube. It comes in many different sizes and shapes. For authentic pastitsio, you need long tubular pasta. Buccattini is a tubular pasta, but the hole is smaller than that of Greek pastitsio pasta. You can also use rigatoni or penne with good results.

Yes, you can. Refrigerate already cooked pastitsio for up to three days. Freeze individual pieces in freezer-friendly containers for easier reheating.

Yes! Pastitsio freezes and reheats beautifully.
You can assemble and freeze it uncooked or bake it and then freeze it. Consume within three months, not longer.
For uncooked pastitsio: Assemble as directed and wrap the baking pan tightly with heavy-duty foil. Make sure to label and date the foil. Consume within 3 months. Bake in an 180°C / 360°F oven for 1 ½  hours, until fully heated.
For baked pastitsio: Let the food cool completely, wrap the pan tightly with heavy-duty foil, label and date it and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat in an 180°C / 360°F oven for one hour, until fully heated.

Yes. Assemble it up to a day ahead, refrigerate unbaked, and bake straight from the fridge, adding 10–15 minutes. Or freeze it (see above).

Pastitsio has tubular pasta vs. pasta sheets, a cinnamon spiced ragù sauce, and a tall egg-enriched béchamel on the top instead of layered through the meat and pasta sheets.

You may also like

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If you tried this recipe, I’d love to know how you liked it — drop a comment below or tag me on Instagram @thegreekfoodie__.

The Greek Foodie Logo in yellow and black.
Side view of a pastitsio slice showing three layers: tubular pasta, beef ragù, and golden béchamel

Pastitsio (Greek Lasagna With Béchamel)

by Jenny Skrapaliori Graves
Pastitsio – Greek beef pasta bake is delicious classic comfort food with layers of white sauce, a beef ragù, and thick tubular pasta.
4.63 from 24 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 1 hour
resting time 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Greek
Servings 8
Calories 956 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 lasagna pan 26 x 35cm / 10" x 14"

Ingredients
  

for the beef ragù 

  • 1.2 lb ground beef, 500 grams
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 onion , diced
  • 14 oz San Marzano tomatoes, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves , or 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • sea salt
  • freshly ground pepper

for the white sauce

  • ⅔ cup butter
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 8 cups whole milk, 2 lt, warm
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ⅔ cup gruyere cheese, grated
  • 3 egg yolks, from medium size eggs
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • sea salt

for the pasta

  • 11 oz tubular pasta
  • sea salt
  • ½ cup kefalotiri cheese, or pecorino romano, grated
  • freshly ground pepper
  • 3 tablespoons butter

For the top

  • ⅓ cup gruyere cheese, grated
  • ¼ cup breadcrumbs , or panco

Instructions
 

Make the beef ragu

  • Place a wide large skillet on the stove over high, without any oil, on a. When skillet is hot add the ground meat. Using a wooden spoon, beak the meat as it browns. Brown while breaking and stirring constantly for 5-6 minutes, until the ground beef is well browned all over.
    1.2 lb ground beef
  • Add the onion, and olive oil to the skillet and continue sautéing for another 1-2 minutes.
    1 onion , 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • Add the tomato paste and stir. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Scrape the burnt bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon as you stir. 
    2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • Add the tomatoes, cinnamon, nutmeg, and fresh oregano leaves, and stir. Season with sea salt and plenty of freshly ground pepper. Lower the heat and cook the beef for about 30 minutes, until it's tender and all its juices have evaporated. 
    14 oz San Marzano tomatoes, 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves , sea salt, freshly ground pepper
  • Leave the meat to cool.
    Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

Make the white sauce

  • Heat the milk slowly in a saucepan with the fresh bay leaf. 
    8 cups whole milk, 1 bay leaf
  • Melt the butter over medium-low heat in a deep saucepan.
    ⅔ cup butter
  • Pour the flour in batches and stir continuously on medium to low heat. 
    Continue stirring for 3-4 minutes on low heat to cook the flour.
    1 cup all-purpose flour
  • Pour in the milk, all together with it, along with the bay leaves. Increase the heat a little and continue the non-stop stirring to gradually dissolve the lumps that form. 
    You can't avoid lumps, they just dissolve with continuous stirring.
    8 cups whole milk
  • Add the nutmeg. Simmer the sauce over low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring very often with a wooden spoon. The béchamel will thicken. 
    1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • Add the cheese and immediately remove from the heat. Stir well.
    ⅔ cup gruyere cheese
  • Throw in the yolks and continue mixing, with the whisk.
    If you are not using immediately cover sauce with a cling film and press it lightly on the surface so that it does not form a crust.
    3 egg yolks

Make the pasta

  • Boil the pasta in plenty of salted boiling water for 8 minutes, until tender.
    Drain pasta well and place it back in the pot. Add on the butter and toss.
    11 oz tubular pasta , 3 tablespoons butter
  • With kitchen scissors, cut the pasta here and there into smaller pieces, so that they are not too long. 
    Sprinkle ½ cup of grated kefalotiri cheese and toss pasta.
    ½ cup kefalotiri cheese

Assemble

  • Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F.
  • Lay the pasta in a rectangular lasagna pan.
  • Add ½ cup of grated kefalotiri cheese in the meat sauce and stir.
  • Layer all the meat sauce on top of the pasta.
  • Finally, pour the béchamel on top and smooth the surface with a spatula.
  • Top pastitsio with the breadcrumbs and grated gruyere cheese.
    ¼ cup breadcrumbs , ⅓ cup gruyere cheese
  • Bake the pastitsio for about 60 minutes, until it forms a smooth and golden crust on top.
  • Let it cool for 15 minutes at least and serve.

Notes

  • Keep more milk and flour around than you might actually need. Just in case an adjustment in the thickness of the sauce is needed.
  • I always make more white sauce than I need. It is better to have extra than less, trust me on this. Refrigerate leftover sauce for up to three days. It must be covered with a transparent film right on the surface of the sauce, so that it does not form a crust. Use it over steak with lots of black pepper, fried potatoes, potato fritters or make macaroni and cheese.
  • Allow pastitsio to sit for 30 min before serving. It will be easier to cut and serve. 
  • If you’re a perfectionist do this:  Pass the béchamel through a fine sieve, pressing it with a wooden spoon so that the tiniest clumps of flour don’t remain.
  • Refrigerate already cooked pastitsio for up to three days. 
  • Pastitsio freezes and reheats beautifully. For uncooked pastitsio: Assemble as directed and wrap the baking pan tightly with heavy-duty foil. Make sure to label and date the foil. Consume within 3 months. For baked pastitsio: Let the food cool completely, wrap the pan tightly with heavy-duty foil, label and date it and freeze for up to 3 months.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 956kcalCarbohydrates: 59gProtein: 35gFat: 65gSaturated Fat: 29gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 26gTrans Fat: 2gCholesterol: 227mgSodium: 550mgPotassium: 771mgFiber: 3gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 1363IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 605mgIron: 4mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @thegreekfoodie__ or tag #thegreekfoodie__
Pastitsio – Greek Lasagna with Béchamel

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4.63 from 24 votes (17 ratings without comment)

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12 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I am such a huge fan of Pastitsio! Two of my best friends are from Greece so I have always been very picky about the way Pastitsio is made. I was pleasantly surprised with your recipe. My husband and kids went back for seconds. Saving this recipe to make again!

    Reply

  2. 5 stars
    I love this recipe, so satisfying and comforting. That color on the top had me from the go, and I really enjoy the building of the recipe through making the ragu and the bechamel, it feels so rewarding when you take that first bite and it’s absolutely delicious.

    Reply

  3. 5 stars
    This whole recipe looks like pure perfection! I’ve never seen a Greek dish like this but I’m impressed!

    Reply

  4. The perfect family meal. This was the first pastitsio recipe i made and kids loved it. It’ll be going into the weekly routine.

    Reply

  5. We have a few similar pasta bakes in Italy and they are total comfort foods. This pastitsio looks wonderful, from the top to the inside texture. It is one of those dishes that require to spend some time in the kitchen but they are incredibly rewarding!

    Reply

  6. 5 stars
    I have made a lot of pastitsio over the years from a recipe given to me by the owner of a NYC Greek diner, your recipe blew me away. It’s absolutely delicious and authentic. I love the results.

    Reply

  9. 4 stars
    Thanks for your site. My husband is Greek, so, I have been making Greek food, for many years. Your recipe, for, pastitsio, is a little different but very good when I make Greek, I make a good bit because my family is always asking for it.

    Reply

    1. Hi Susan,

      Thank you so much for enjoying the site! Every Greek family has its own version of classic recipes. There are also differences in recipes depending on the region. I am an intuitive cook and love to make recipes mine. My mom was from Crete so I am heavily influenced by Cretan cooking. My grandma from my dad’s side was from Constantinople and was an amazing cook with flavors we in Greece call Politiki kouzina. Thanks again for checking us out! x Jenny

      Reply

  10. 5 stars
    This was absolutely scrumptious! It’s one of those dishes that just wraps you in comfort. I made it 2 days in a row for different friends. Neither of them had tasted a pastitsio before and were very happy – second servings for all! I ordered the Misko noodles from Amazon. Thank you for a great authentic recipe!

    Reply