Pastitsio
Παστίτσιο
A Greek baked pasta with spiced meat sauce and a thick béchamel, like a lasagna with tube pasta.
Serves 8
Prep 40 min
Cook 1 hr 30 min
Ingredients
- 1 lb bucatini or ziti
- 2 tablespoons butter, plus more for the pan
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can (14 oz) crushed tomatoes
- 1/4 cup red wine
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1/2 cup butter, for béchamel
- 1/2 cup flour
- 4 cups warm milk
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup grated kefalotyri or Parmesan, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Steps
Step 1. Boil the pasta until just al dente, drain, and toss with 2 tablespoons of butter and half the cheese.
Step 2. Brown the beef for 8 minutes until no longer pink. Add the onion and garlic for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, wine, cinnamon, allspice, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Simmer for 20 minutes and remove the cinnamon.
Step 3. Melt the 1/2 cup of butter, whisk in the flour for 2 minutes, then add the milk and cook until thick. Cool 5 minutes, then whisk in the eggs, nutmeg, and remaining salt.
Step 4. Heat the oven to 350°F. Spread half the pasta in a buttered 9x13 dish, add the meat, then the rest of the pasta. Pour over the béchamel and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
Step 5. Bake for 45 minutes, until golden and 165°F in the center. Rest 20 minutes.
Where this recipe comes from
Yoribang Greek recipes by Yoribang. License: Free to use. View the original (opens in a new tab)
Original Yoribang write-ups of Greek dishes. Good olive oil, lemon, oregano, and feta carry most of the flavor. Greek yogurt, phyllo dough, kefalotyri cheese, and Kalamata olives are sold in many supermarkets and Mediterranean grocery stores.