Greek Pastitsio Baked Pasta
Pastitsio is the Greek answer to lasagna, featuring layers of tubular pasta and a rich, cinnamon-spiced ground beef sauce topped with a thick and creamy bechamel. It is a show-stopping baked dish that feeds a crowd and tastes even better the next day.
A comforting Greek baked pasta dish with spiced meat sauce and a golden, creamy bechamel topping.
Nutrition per serving
Ingredients
base
meat sauce
bechamel
seasoning
Instructions
Cook Pasta and Meat Sauce
Cook the pasta in heavily salted boiling water until one minute shy of al dente, then drain. Meanwhile, brown the ground beef in a skillet, add crushed tomatoes and cinnamon, and simmer for 20 minutes until the sauce is thick and fragrant.
Prepare the Bechamel Sauce
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat and whisk in 70 grams of flour to form a smooth roux. Gradually add warmed milk while whisking constantly, cooking until the sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon, then season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
Assemble the Layers
Grease a large deep baking dish and spread half the cooked pasta evenly across the bottom. Pour all of the meat sauce over the pasta layer, then top with the remaining pasta, pressing it down gently before pouring the bechamel sauce over everything.
Bake Until Golden
Smooth the bechamel with a spatula and sprinkle with grated kefalotyri or parmesan cheese. Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 45 to 50 minutes until the top is deeply golden, set, and pulling slightly away from the edges of the dish.
Substitutions
Common mistakes
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