Pastitsio

Pastitsio, sometimes referred to as Greek lasagna, is easy to make with a savory meat sauce, tubular pasta, rich béchamel sauce, and cheese. It tastes incredible — everyone loves this comforting dish!

Preparation Details

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 1 hr 30 mins

Total Time: 2 hrs

Servings: 10

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 ½ pounds lean ground beef
• 1 (15 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 1/2 cup beef broth
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon or 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 whole clove
• salt and pepper to taste

Steps

1. Gather all ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9×13-inch casserole dish.
2. Make the meat sauce: Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir gently until onion is soft, 3 to 5 minutes. Increase heat and add ground beef; cook and stir until browned and crumbly, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, wine, broth, tomato paste, parsley, cinnamon, salt, pepper, and clove. Cover and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile prepare the pasta: Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until tender yet firm to the bite, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain.
4. Pour melted butter, 1/4 cup grated cheese, nutmeg, salt, and pepper over pasta; toss well and cool briefly. Add 2 eggs and toss again; set aside.
5. Make the béchamel: Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add flour; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Pour in milk and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Cool slightly before stirring in 1 cup grated cheese, beaten egg, and egg yolk. Then stir 1/2 cup of béchamel sauce into meat sauce.
6. To assemble pastitsio: Arrange pasta in the bottom of the prepared baking dish so that all of the noodles are nicely lined up and are as level as possible for a great visual effect when serving. Spoon meat sauce over pasta; top with remaining béchamel sauce, spreading evenly. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup grated cheese on top.
7. Bake in the preheated oven until bubbling and golden brown on top, about 50 minutes.
8. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting into squares.