Description
Authentic Greek Pastitsio is a layered pasta casserole featuring a rich meat sauce, creamy béchamel, and tender pasta, baked to golden perfection. This traditional dish combines aromatic spices with hearty ingredients, perfect for a comforting main course.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat Sauce
- 1 red onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 lbs. ground beef
- 1 cup red wine
- 28 oz. can crushed tomato
- 1 cup fresh parsley, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3 bay leaves
- Kosher salt, to taste
Béchamel Sauce
- 4 cups whole milk
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 1/2 cups grated Kefalotyri or Pecorino cheese
- 2 egg yolks
- Kosher salt, to taste
Pasta
- 1 lb. long ziti, pastitsio pasta, or penne pasta
- 2 egg whites
- 7 oz. feta cheese
Instructions
- Prepare Meat Sauce: In a wide pan over medium-high heat, add olive oil, chopped onion, and minced garlic. Cook for 5 minutes or until onions are slightly golden. Add ground beef, breaking it up evenly, and cook until browned. Season with kosher salt.
- Deglaze and Simmer: Pour in red wine and let it reduce by half. Add crushed tomato, parsley, white pepper, sugar, nutmeg, oregano, thyme, cinnamon, bay leaves, and salt to taste. Simmer the sauce for 60 minutes uncovered, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat when done.
- Cook Pasta: Boil pasta in salted water until al dente, about 10-12 minutes. Drain and transfer pasta to a 9×13-inch casserole pan with handles while still hot.
- Toss Pasta with Egg Whites and Feta: Immediately add egg whites and crumbled feta cheese to the hot pasta and toss quickly to combine evenly.
- Make Béchamel Sauce: In a pot over low heat, melt unsalted butter. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute, whisking constantly. Gradually whisk in milk and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Add grated cheese and stir until smooth. Remove from heat and whisk in egg yolks. Season with kosher salt to taste.
- Assemble Pastitsio: Pour the meat sauce evenly over the pasta layer, spreading with a spatula. Pour the béchamel sauce over the meat layer until it reaches the brim of the casserole.
- Bake: Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake the assembled pastitsio for 30 minutes or until the béchamel topping is golden brown and set.
- Cool and Serve: Let the pastitsio cool for 15 minutes before cutting into squares and serving.
Notes
- Use Kefalotyri cheese for the most authentic flavor, but Pecorino Romano is a good substitute.
- The cinnamon and nutmeg give the meat sauce a distinctive warm flavor, essential for traditional pastitsio.
- Be sure to toss the pasta with egg whites immediately while hot so it binds the pasta well.
- If you want to reduce fat, use lean ground beef and low-fat milk, but traditionally whole milk and full-fat cheese are used for richness.
- Allowing the dish to cool before serving helps it hold its shape when sliced.
- Pastitsio can be made a day ahead and reheated; the flavors improve overnight.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 550 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 32 g
- Cholesterol: 130 mg
