Pastitsio (Greek Baked Pasta)

Pastitsio is Greek-style lasagna, but instead of flat noodles and ricotta, we use penne pasta and the same aromatic meat sauce and bechamel that go into moussaka. If you've already mastered moussaka, you can make pastitsio — it's essentially the same dish with pasta instead of eggplant.

This is comfort food for cold winter nights, for feeding a crowd, for Sunday dinners when the whole family gathers.

Making the Meat Sauce

This is the same versatile meat sauce used for moussaka and stuffed eggplant. I usually make it in bulk and freeze the extra.

However, I add a little more tomato when making pastitsio. So if you ONLY want to make this sauce for pastitsio OR pasta, double the tomato in this recipe. When I use meat sauce from the all-purpose recipe above (and also if it has been frozen), I cook it with more tomato — about 2 cups of chopped tomato for every 4 cups of sauce.

1. Coat the bottom of a large pan with olive oil and heat over medium.

2. Sauté onion until translucent and golden.

3. Add ground beef and sauté until browned.

4. Add wine. When the juices have boiled away (30 seconds to a minute), add milk.

5. About a minute later, add the tomato, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, nutmeg, salt, and pepper.

6. Slowly simmer for at least an hour. Remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaves before assembling.

Making the Bechamel

1. Warm the milk — heat in the microwave on high for 1 minute per cup of milk.

2. Melt butter in a saucepan.

3. Add nutmeg, salt, and pepper to the melted butter.

4. Whisk flour into the melted butter until combined.

5. Add warm milk to the foamy butter-flour mixture and whisk constantly until it thickens.

6. Remove from heat. Once slightly cooled, add the beaten eggs and stir until fully incorporated.

Preparing the Pasta

1. Cook penne in salted boiling water until just al dente — about 2 minutes less than package directions. It will continue cooking in the oven.

2. Drain well and return to the pot.

3. While pasta is still warm, stir in one cup of bechamel with half the Parmesan cheese. The cheese and bechamel will make the pasta deliciously creamy and also bind it together. I mix this directly in the baking pan to save time and extra dishes to clean!

Assembling

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).

2. Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish generously.

3. Spread the pasta and mix with 1 cup of bechamel and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan in the bottom of the dish.

4. Layer all the meat sauce over the pasta.

5. Pour the bechamel evenly over everything, spreading to cover completely.

6. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Baking

Bake for 45-55 minutes, until the top is golden brown and puffed.

Critical step: Let rest for at least 15-20 minutes before cutting. Like moussaka, pastitsio needs time to set or it will be a sloppy mess.

The Greek Way vs. Italian Lasagna

The key differences:

• Pasta shape: Penne or other tubular pasta, not flat sheets
• Spices: Cinnamon and nutmeg give it a distinctly Greek flavor
• Cheese: Parmesan or kefalotiri, not ricotta
• Structure: Two distinct pasta layers with meat in between, topped with bechamel

Make-Ahead Strategy

Like moussaka, pastitsio is actually better the next day. The flavors meld and the layers hold together perfectly.

Assemble completely, cover, and refrigerate overnight. Add 15-20 minutes to baking time if baking from cold.

Serving

Cut into squares and serve with a crisp green salad. The richness of the dish needs something fresh alongside.

Related Recipes

This uses the same meat sauce and bechamel as:

• Moussaka — With eggplant and potato instead of pasta
• Papoutsakia — Stuffed eggplant version