Greek Pastitsio: Baked Pasta With Meat and Béchamel
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/pastitsio-baked-pasta-with-meat-1706031-hero-01-012e9f29ed4f47eebad39ca8a5a7bc7c.jpg)
The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel
Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
---|---|
390 | Calories |
27g | Fat |
16g | Carbs |
18g | Protein |
Nutrition Facts | |
---|---|
Servings: 24 | |
Amount per serving | |
Calories | 390 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 27g | 35% |
Saturated Fat 12g | 62% |
Cholesterol 142mg | 47% |
Sodium 237mg | 10% |
Total Carbohydrate 16g | 6% |
Dietary Fiber 1g | 4% |
Total Sugars 3g | |
Protein 18g | |
Vitamin C 3mg | 14% |
Calcium 138mg | 11% |
Iron 2mg | 13% |
Potassium 357mg | 8% |
*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. |
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.
Ingredients
For the Meat Filling:
-
1/2 cup olive oil
-
2 pounds ground beef, or ground lamb, or a mixture of both
-
1 large yellow onion, chopped
-
1 cup dry white wine
-
1 (14-ounce) can tomato puree, or tomato sauce
-
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
-
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
-
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
-
Salt, to taste
-
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
-
3 tablespoons breadcrumbs
For the Pasta:
-
1 (16-ounce) box #2 Macaroni for pastitsio
-
4 ounces (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
-
4 large egg whites
-
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 lightly
-
1 pinch ground nutmeg
Steps to Make It
Make the Meat Filling
-
Gather the ingredients.
The Spruce / Teena Agnel -
Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan.
The Spruce / Teena Agnel -
Add ground beef and cook over medium-high heat until the pink color disappears about 5 minutes.
The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel -
Add onions and cook until they are translucent, about 5 minutes more.
The Spruce / Teena Agnel -
Add wine, tomato sauce, parsley, allspice, cinnamon, salt, and pepper and allow the sauce to simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.
The Spruce / Teena Agnel -
Stir breadcrumbs into meat sauce to absorb excess liquid; remove from heat.
The Spruce / Teena Agnel
Make the Noodles
-
Gather the ingredients.
The Spruce / Teena Agnel -
While sauce is simmering, put water on to boil for pasta. Cook pasta according to package directions and drain well.
The Spruce / Teena Agnel -
Rinse noodles in a colander under cold water to cool them slightly.
The Spruce / Teena Agnel -
Melt butter in pasta pot and return the cooked noodles to the pot.
The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel -
Stir in beaten egg whites and 1 cup of grated cheese and toss lightly, being careful not to break the noodles.
The Spruce / Teena Agnel
Assemble the Pastitsio
-
Gather the ingredients.
The Spruce / Teena Agnel -
Brush the bottom and sides of a lasagna pan with olive oil. Layer the bottom with half the pasta noodles and press down so that they are somewhat flat.
The Spruce / Teena Agnel -
Add the meat filling in an even layer.
The Spruce / Teena Agnel -
Top with remaining pasta noodles and flatten top layer as best you can.
The Spruce / Teena Agnel -
Preheat the oven to 350 F while you prepare the béchamel sauce.
Prepare the Béchamel Sauce
-
Gather the ingredients.
The Spruce / Teena Agnel -
Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat.
The Spruce / Teena Agnel -
Using a whisk, add flour to melted butter whisking continuously to make a smooth paste (called a roux). Allow the flour-butter mixture to cook for a minute, but do not let it brown.
The Spruce / Teena Agnel -
Add warmed milk to mixture in a steady stream, whisking continuously. Simmer over low heat until it thickens but does not boil.
The Spruce / Teena Agnel -
Remove from heat and stir in beaten egg yolks and a pinch of nutmeg.
The Spruce / Teena Agnel -
If sauce still needs to thicken, return to stove and cook over very low heat while continuing to stir. 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.
The Spruce / Teena Agnel
Bake the Pastitsio
-
Pour the béchamel over the pasta noodles making sure to pour sauce down into the corners as well.
The Spruce / Teena Agnel -
Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese.
The Spruce / Teena Agnel -
Bake in 350 F oven for approximately 45 minutes or until the top is a nice golden color.
The Spruce / Teena Agnel -
Serve and enjoy.
The Spruce / Teena Agnel
Recipe Variation
- If you cannot find the No. 2 macaroni made for pastitsio, you can substitute ziti 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. This recipe is best with 2 pounds of pasta but you can scale back to 1 pound if you prefer.
Recipe Tags: