Pastitsio
Creamy, cheesy, and packed with flavor—pastitsio is the ultimate Greek comfort food. A simple, foolproof recipe to bring Greece to your table!
Equipment
- 2 Pot medium for sauce & large for pasta
- 1 Oven dish
Ingredients
Béchamel Sauce (makes about 1.5 liters - 6 1/3 cups)
- 150 g Butter (5.3 oz)
- 150 g All-purpose flour (5.3 oz)
- 1.5 liters Whole milk (6 1/3 cups)
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon Ground nutmeg
- 150 g Gouda cheese, grated (5.3 oz)
- 3 Egg yolks medium eggs
Ground beef sauce
- 500 g Ground beef (1.1 lb)
- 1 Onion chopped
- 1 Medium carrot grated
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- 350 ml White wine (1½ cups)
- 100 ml Grated or crushed tomatoes (1/3 cup)
- 2 Beef stock cubes
- 2 Bay leaves
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce optional
- 1 Cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp Cinnamon powder
- 6 Allspice berries
- 6 Cloves
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- ½ tsp Black pepper
- 1 tbsp Cornstarch
- 2 tbsp Cold water
Assemble toppings
- 1 hand-full Grated cheese for topping
- 3 tbsp Breadcrumbs , sprinkle on top
Instructions
Ground beef sauce
- Heat a medium pot over medium heat. Add olive oil and onion. Sauté until soft, then add the grated carrot.
- Add the ground beef and cook until browned.
- Pour in the wine, then add all remaining ingredients except the cornstarch.
- Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Mix the cornstarch with cold water and stir it into the sauce until thickened. Remove from heat.
Pasta
- Cook the bucatini according to the package instructions. Drain well.
Make the Béchamel Sauce
- Melt butter in a pot over medium heat. Add flour and whisk continuously for a couple of minutes.
- Slowly add milk in small amounts, whisking constantly to avoid lumps.
- Keep stirring until the sauce thickens.
- Remove from heat and mix in salt, pepper, nutmeg, and grated cheese.
- Finally, whisk in the egg yolks. Set aside.
Mix and Assemble
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
- Return the drained pasta to the pot. Add the meat sauce, one-third of the béchamel sauce, and grated cheese. Stir well.
- In a baking dish: Spread a thin layer of béchamel sauce on the bottom.
- Add the pasta mixture.
- Pour the remaining béchamel on top.
- Sprinkle more grated cheese and breadcrumbs for a crispy golden crust.
- Bake for 40–45 minutes, or until golden brown. Let it rest before slicing—it holds together better that way. Enjoy!
Notes
👉 If you prefer, you can use béchamel powder mix—you’ll need enough to make 1.5 liters (6 1/3 cups) of sauce. Just don’t forget the freshly grated nutmeg!