Greek Pastitsio: Baked Pasta With Meat and Béchamel

By
Lynn Livanos Athan
Lynn Livanos Athan
First-generation Greek American, Lynn Livanos Athan has published many recipes. She has culinary school training and teaches Greek cooking.
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Updated on 11/16/22
Tested by
Diana Andrews
Headshot of Diana Andrews
Tested by Diana Andrews
Diana earned her B.A. in Fine Art at Queens College and her culinary certification from the Institute of Culinary Education. Diana has served as head recipe developer and editor for Emmy-nominated PBS series Moveable Feast, food editor and test kitchen manager at Fine Cooking Magazine, and recipe developer, and product tester at Food Network.
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slice of Pastitsio on a plate, glass of rose wine and baking dish in background

The Spruce Eats / Photographer Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Ana Kelly, Prop Stylist Christine Keely
Prep: 45 mins
Cook: 70 mins
Cool Time: 20 mins
Total: 2 hrs 15 mins
Servings: 12 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
668 Calories
42g Fat
32g Carbs
37g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories 668
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 42g 54%
Saturated Fat 20g 101%
Cholesterol 270mg 90%
Sodium 1109mg 48%
Total Carbohydrate 32g 12%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Total Sugars 7g
Protein 37g
Vitamin C 6mg 28%
Calcium 274mg 21%
Iron 5mg 26%
Potassium 710mg 15%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

When teaching others to make this dish, some cooks tease that the word pastitsio (pa-STEE-tsee-oh) translates to "messy kitchen" in Greek. Although just a joke, there is a hint of truth to that statement. The Greek word pastitsio is derived from the Italian pasticcio, which loosely translates to a mess or a hodgepodge. You can think of it as the Greek version of lasagna.

Three essential components make up this dish—pasta, meat filling, and a creamy béchamel sauce—which are layered in a pan and baked to a golden brown. You use some egg whites for the pasta stage and reserve the yolks for the béchamel. Each prep step will require dirtying some pots and pans, but the end result is well worth the cleanup.

You'll likely need to find some of the ingredients at a specialty retailer or online, as this recipe calls for a specific type of Greek pasta shape used for this dish. If you happen to live near a great cheesemonger or a supermarket with an excellent cheese selection, you may be able to find the sharp, salty Kefalotri cheese; otherwise, the closest and most widely available substitute would be Parmesan.

"This takes some effort to prepare, but it's a showstopper if you're feeding a crowd. The meat mixture is absolutely delicious. I used a 15 x 10 x 2-inch baking dish, about 5 quarts. The béchamel custard was nothing less than glorious, and the egg white mixture helped the noodle layer stay together when removing it from the pan” —Diana Andrews

 

pastitsio/tester image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

For the Meat Filling:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, more for the baking dish

  • 2 pounds ground beef, or ground lamb, or a mixture of both

  • 1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped

  • 1 cup dry white wine

  • 1 (14-ounce) can tomato puree, or tomato sauce

  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • Kosher salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • 3 tablespoons breadcrumbs

For the Pasta:

  • Kosher salt, as needed

  • 1 (16-ounce) box #2 Macaroni for pastitsio, or bucatini

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 4 large egg whites, beaten

  • 1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese, or Kefalotyri, divided

For the Béchamel Sauce:

  • 8 ounces (1 cup) unsalted butter

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1 quart milk, warmed

  • 8 large egg yolks, beaten

  • 1 pinch ground nutmeg

  • 1 pinch kosher salt

Steps to Make It

Make the Meat Filling

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    ingredients gathered for meat filling of Pastitsio

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  2. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy-duty pot.

    oil heating in heavy bottom pot over burner

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  3. Add ground beef and cook over medium-high heat, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon until no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Drain excess fat from the pot.

    ground meat for Pastitsio filling browned in pot over burner

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  4. Add onions and cook until they are translucent, about 5 minutes more.

    onions cooking in pot with ground meat for Pastitsio

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  5. Add wine, tomato sauce, parsley, allspice, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce begins to thicken, about 10 minutes. Stir breadcrumbs into meat sauce to absorb excess liquid. Remove from heat and set aside.

    tomato sauce added to meat and onion mixture in pot

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Make the Noodles

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    ingredients gathered for pasta component of Pastitsio

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  2. In a large pot of well-salted water, cook pasta according to package directions until al-dente. Drain well. Set the pot aside, you'll use it again.

    noodles cooking in large pot of boiling water

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  3. Rinse noodles in a colander under cold water to cool completely.

    cooked pasta in colander after being rinsed

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  4. Melt butter in pasta pot. Return the cooked noodles to the pot.

    pasta and butter in pot over heat

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  5. Fold in the egg whites and 1 cup of grated cheese and toss gently, being careful not to break the noodles.

    egg and cheese folded into pasta in pot for pastisio

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Assemble the Pastitsio

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    prepared pasta and meat sauce gathered for Pastitsio

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  2. Brush the bottom and sides of a 5-quart (about 15 x 10 x 2-inch) baking dish with olive oil. Layer the bottom with the pasta noodles and press down so that they are somewhat flat.

    prepared noodle mixture for Pastitsio in oiled baking dish

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  3. Add the meat filling in an even layer, flattening the layer as best you can with your hands. Set aside. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 350 F. Meanwhile, prepare the béchamel sauce.

    meat mixture added to prepared pan with noodle mixture

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Prepare the Béchamel Sauce

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    ingredients gathered for Pastitsio bechamel sauce

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  2. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over low heat.

    butter melted in pot over heat with a whisk in pot

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  3. Add the flour to melted butter. Whisk continuously to make a smooth paste (called a roux). Cook the flour-butter mixture while whisking constantly, 1 minute more. Do not let it brown.

    flour whisked into pot with melted butter for bechamel sauce

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  4. Add warmed milk to mixture in a slow steady stream, whisking continuously. Simmer over low heat until it thickens (do not boil). This could take up to 20 minutes.

    warm milk added to flour and butter mixture in pot, whisked and thickening

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  5. Remove from heat. Put the egg yolks in a medium bowl. Temper some of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolks while whisking continuously. Whisk the mixture back into the saucepan. Whisk in the nutmeg and salt.

    adding some of the warmed, thickened sauce to a bowl with the egg yolks and whisking

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  6. Return to stove and cook over very low heat while continuing to stir, if necessary. Béchamel should be thicker than gravy, but not quite as thick as pudding. One way to tell if it is thick enough is to dip your wooden spoon in the sauce and draw your finger across the back of the spoon; if the sauce holds a visible line then it is ready.

    thickened bechamel sauce in pot over heat with a back of spoon showing a clear line drawn through the thickened sauce

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Bake the Pastitsio

  1. Pour the béchamel over the pasta noodles making sure the sauce covers the corners as well.

    bechamel sauce being poured over baking pan filled with meat mixture and noodles for Pastitsio

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  2. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese. Transfer the dish to a rimmed baking sheet.

    casserole dish filled with Pastitsio ingredients and sprinkled with cheese, resting on a sheet tray,

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  3. Bake until the top is a golden color, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool about 20 minutes. Serve and enjoy.

    browned and baked Pastitsio on cooling rack

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Recipe Variation

  • If you cannot find the No. 2 macaroni made for pastitsio, you can substitute bucatini or penne. If you are using penne, cut it to look like ziti since penne can flatten more than the long pastitsio noodles which tend to get twisted when layered.