Go Back Email Link
+ servings
Pastitsio in a baking pan with a peice cut out.
Print

Pastitsio-Greek Beef pasta bake

Pastitsio - Greek beef pasta bake is delicious classic comfort food with layers of white sauce, a beef ragù, and thick tubular pasta.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Greek
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 1 hour
Servings 8
Calories 977kcal

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
  • ½ cup kefalotiri cheese or pecorino romano, grated
  • sea salt
  • freshly ground pepper

for the white sauce

  • cup butter
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 8 cups whole milk 2 lt, warm
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 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

  • 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.
  • Add the onion, and olive oil to the skillet and continue sautéing for another 1-2 minutes.
  • 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. 
  • Add the tomatoes and stir. Lower the heat and cook the beef for about 30 minutes, until it's tender and all its juices have been evaporated. 
  • 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. 
  • Melt the butter over medium-low heat in a deep saucepan.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Add the nutmeg. Simmer the sauce over low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring very often with a wooden spoon. The béchamel will thicken. 
  • Add the cheese and immediately remove from the heat. Stir well.
  • 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.

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.
  • 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.

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.
  • 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: 977kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 66g | Saturated Fat: 30g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 26g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 234mg | Sodium: 625mg | Potassium: 761mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 1368IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 651mg | Iron: 3mg