Pastitsio is a Greek specialty that combines three distinct layers: a first layer of pasta that forms the base of the pie, a second layer of minced meat seasoned with cinnamon, and a third layer of thick béchamel sauce topped with cheese, which gives this savory Greek pie its irresistible creaminess.
Like so many regional recipes, there are many variations of this pasta pie, although the essence remains the same.
The pasta typically used for pastitsio is bucatini, a long pasta similar to spaghetti, but with a hole in the middle. Since this type of pasta isn't always easy to find, we 've made our pastitsio with macaroni . Another adaptation we've made to make this Greek recipe easier is to substitute Parmesan cheese for the traditional kefalotyri.
To ensure the layers are well-defined and don't fall apart, we'll cook the meat until all the liquid has evaporated and then prepare a rich béchamel sauce so it's nice and thick. While not strictly necessary, it's ideal for the layers to be cold when assembling the pastitsio, so they can be prepared in advance and kept in the refrigerator until assembly and baking time. For assembly, we'll use a deep baking dish so we can serve tall slices of the pie where all three layers are clearly visible .
This time, we have prepared a small cake ideal for two people, although you can double the quantities of all the ingredients and prepare a larger cake for four people, or even triple them and make a cake for 6 people.
Pastitsio is great to serve as a main course as it is very complete and filling, although if you prefer, you can serve it in smaller portions accompanied by a Greek eggplant salad that combines wonderfully with the heartiness of this dish.
Recipe Information
- Preparation time : 20 minutes
- Cooking time : 50 minutes
- Total time : 1 hour and 10 minutes (plus cooling time)
- Servings : 2
- Category : main course
- Type of cuisine : Greek
- Calories per serving (kcal) : 883
Ingredients of the pastitsio
Ingredients for the meat:
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 1 small onion
- Salt
- A few sprigs of thyme
- 1 clove of garlic
- 200g of minced beef
- 1 tablespoon of tomato paste
- 30 ml of red wine
- 200g of canned tomatoes
- 1 pinch of ground cinnamon
- 1 bay leaf
- Ground black pepper
Ingredients for the béchamel sauce:
- 25g of butter
- 25 g of wheat flour
- 300 ml of cold whole milk
- Salt
- Ground pepper
- Nutmeg
- 1 egg yolk
- 3 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese
Ingredients for pasta:
- 100 g bucatini or macaroni pasta
- 3 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese (2 for gratinating)
How to make pastitsio
First, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan and sauté 1 small chopped onion over medium heat for 5 minutes. Season with salt and add a few sprigs of thyme. Add 1 crushed garlic clove and cook for another minute.
Add 200g of minced beef and brown it for 5 minutes over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of tomato paste and stir for another 2 minutes.
Pour in 30 ml of red wine and let it reduce for 2-3 minutes. Add 200 g of canned tomatoes and season with a pinch of ground cinnamon, 1 bay leaf, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring until the liquid has reduced and almost completely evaporated. Remove the bay leaf and the thyme, if using fresh, and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF). Meanwhile, prepare the béchamel sauce in a saucepan. To do this, melt 25g of butter over medium heat, add 25g of all-purpose flour, mix, and cook for 2 minutes. Gradually pour in 300ml of cold whole milk while whisking until thickened. Season with salt, pepper, and grated nutmeg. Finally, add 1 egg yolk and 3 tablespoons of grated cheese. Mix until you have a thick béchamel sauce and set aside.
To prepare the pasta, cook 100g of bucatini or macaroni for 2 minutes less than the manufacturer's instructions. Drain and spread the pasta in a deep ovenproof dish, tossing it with 1 tablespoon of grated Parmesan cheese. To achieve the characteristic pastitsio cut, where the hollow pasta is visible as the base, at this point, try to align the macaroni in the same direction.
Spread the meat mixture over the pasta and cover it with the reserved béchamel sauce. Finally, sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese on top.
We bake the pastitsio at 180ºC with heat above and below for 30 minutes until it is golden brown to taste.
We remove it from the oven, let it rest for 10 minutes and serve.
Easy-to-prepare summary
- We sauté the onion with the garlic and thyme
- We add the minced meat and cook the mixture
- Add the tomatoes, season, and set aside.
- We prepare the béchamel sauce by cooking the butter with the flour, adding the milk, thickening over low heat, seasoning, and incorporating the egg yolk.
- We boil the pasta and arrange it on the tray
- We cover it with the meat, the béchamel sauce, and the cheese.
- We bake the pastitsio for 30 minutes
- We serve it after a short rest
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