Pastitsio

Name: Pastitsio
Cook time: 120 min
Total time: 120 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: 3 cloves of Garlic, minced; 500g No. 2 Macaroni; 2 Egg Whites; 50g Kefalotyri Cheese, grated; 2 tbsp Unsalted Butter, melted; 750g Ground Beef, 15–20% fat; 1 Onion, large, finely chopped; 3 tbsp Olive Oil; 120ml Dry Red Wine; 400g Crushed Canned Tomatoes; 1 tbsp Tomato Paste; 1 Cinnamon Stick; 4 Whole Allspice Berries; 2 Bay Leaves; 1 tsp Oregano, dried; 1 tsp Salt, plus more to taste; 1/2 tsp Pepper (Black); 1/2 tsp Sugar, optional, to balance acidity; 1.2 l Whole Milk, warmed; 120g Unsalted Butter; 120g All-purpose Flour; 3 Eggs, large; 150g Kefalotyri Cheese, finely grated; 1/2 tsp Ground Nutmeg; 1 tsp Salt, to taste; 1/2 tsp White Pepper; 2 tbsp Breadcrumbs, for the pan and topping; 25g Kefalotyri Cheese, grated for sprinkling

Pastitsio is a comforting Greek casserole of ridged macaroni layered with a rich, spiced beef ragu and a silky, cheesy béchamel. Baked until the top is golden and set, each slice reveals tender pasta, a fragrant tomato-meat filling and a nutmeg-kissed cream topping — perfect for family dinners or entertaining. Serve warm with a simple salad for a truly satisfying meal.

Pastitsio is a comforting Greek casserole of ridged macaroni layered with a rich, spiced beef ragu and a silky, cheesy béchamel. B... Show more

Traditional Greek Recipe

Health Grade

C+ · Balanced

Rating

4.4

Time

2 hrs

Price

1,86 €

Calories

1015 kcal

meal prep

high protein

low sugar

comfort food

Method

Preheat and prep

Heat the oven to 350° F. While it warms, lightly coat a deep 9-by-13-inch baking dish with a little of the Olive Oil, then dust it with some of the Breadcrumbs, saving the rest for the top. Finely chop the Onion and mince the Garlic, and grate the Kefalotyri Cheese into three small piles: one for the pasta, one for the béchamel, and one for sprinkling.

Make the meat sauce

Heat the remaining olive oil in a wide pot over medium-high. Add the onion and cook, stirring now and then, until it turns soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and let it cook just until fragrant, then add the ground beef and break it up with a spoon until it loses its pink color and starts to brown. Pour in the dry red wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot, then stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, cinnamon stick, allspice berries, bay leaves, oregano, salt, black pepper, and the sugar if you want to soften the acidity. Lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes until the sauce is thick and spoonable, then set it aside and remove the cinnamon stick and whole spices before assembling.

Boil the pasta

Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil and cook the No. 2 macaroni until just shy of al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain it very well, return it to the pot, and toss quickly with the lightly beaten egg whites, the melted butter, and the grated kefalotyri while the pasta is still hot.

Make the béchamel

Warm the milk until steamy. In a separate saucepan, melt the remaining butter over medium heat, whisk in the flour, and cook for 2 minutes to make a pale roux. Slowly whisk in the warm milk until the sauce is smooth, then keep cooking and whisking for 8 to 10 minutes until it is thick enough to coat a spoon. Take the pan off the heat, whisk in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the finely grated kefalotyri, nutmeg, salt, and white pepper.

Assemble the layers

Spread the pasta mixture evenly in the prepared dish. Spoon the meat sauce over it and smooth it into the corners, then pour the béchamel on top and use a spatula to push it into an even blanket. Sprinkle over the remaining breadcrumbs and the reserved cheese for the top, then give the dish a gentle tap on the counter to settle the layers.

Bake the pastitsio

Bake at 350° F for 45 minutes until the top is deeply golden and the center is set with just a slight wobble. If the top is browning too fast, lay a loose piece of foil over it for the last 10 to 15 minutes.