Today, we are talking comfort food, Greek style. I’m sharing my mom’s version of Greek pastitsio, a delectable, flavor-packed baked pasta. Serves a crowd, and they won’t even know that it’s lightened up!
If I were to ask you about a dish that might have defined the holidays for you as a child, what would it be? For me, it’s Greek pastitsio, but in our Egyptian household, this casserole was known by its literal translation: macaroni béchamel.
What is Greek Pastitsio?
Incidentally, pastitsio translates to “hodgepodge.” No problem here! Aren’t the best of homemade casseroles basically a glorious hodgepodge?!
And if you need a reference point, think of pastitsio as a baked pasta casserole or Greek lasagna.
This is a lightened up Greek pastitsio of three layers: pasta; lean meat sauce; and a topping of creamy smooth béchamel made with quality extra virgin olive oil and only 2% milk.
Each layer infused with just enough flavor.
Pasta tossed with olive oil and a little Parmesan cheese. A tomato meat sauce with red wine, aromatics, and warm spices like cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg. Finally, a lighter béchamel sauce with just a pinch of nutmeg for good measure. Some add more cheese to the béchamel, but I don’t find the need to.
What to serve along?
In my book, this Greek baked pasta is up there with Moussaka as the stuff of gods! A guilty pleasure that is worthy of the holiday table or your next special dinner. Love adding Greek salad or balela (recipe coming) next to it!
Can this Greek Pastitsio Be baked in Advance?
If you need to prepare Pastitsio in advance, you can prepare the different components–pasta, meat sauce, and bechamel–the night before. Store separately in the fridge and assemble before baking. Or, you can certainly assemble the pastitsio in your casserole dish, but do not bake. Cover tightly and refrigerate. Bake the next day when you are ready.
Can you freeze cooked Pastitsio?
This pasta casserole does feed a big crowd. If you end up with leftovers, you can certainly freeze cooked pastitsio in portions and thaw in the fridge overnight. When ready, heat in a medium-heated oven until warmed through.
Watch How I Make Greek Pastitsio
Greek Pastitsio Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Yield: 12 pieces 1x
Description
BEST Greek pastitsio recipe. Delectable and flavor-packed baked pasta with Greek-spiced meat sauce and a “lightened up” golden bechamel topping. A must-try!
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups uncooked Penne pasta
- Salt
- Private Reserve Greek extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsp grated Parmesan
For Meat Sauce
- 3 tbsp Private Reserve Greek extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 1 1/2 lb lean ground beef
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
- Salt
- 1/2 cup red wine such as merlot
- 28 oz canned crushed tomatoes
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 3/4 tsp ground allspice
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- pinch sugar
For Bechamel
- 1/3 cup + 2 tbsp Private Reserve Greek extra virgin olive oil
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt, more if you like
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 4 cups 2% milk, warmed
- 2 large eggs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Cook the pasta to al dante according to package instructions. Be sure to add salt and olive oil to the boiling water. Drain and transfer pasta to 9 1/2″ x 13″ baking pan like this one. While still hot, drizzle pasta with a little more extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle grated Parmesan. Toss to combine. Set aside for now.
- Make the meat sauce. In a large pan or skillet like this one, heat olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Saute onions until just golden, then add lean beef and garlic. Season with salt. Cook until meat is fully browned, tossing regularly and breaking up the meat with your wooden spoon (about 8 to 10 minutes). Carefully drain any excess liquid and return pan to heat. Add wine, crushed tomato, bay leaves, spices and pinch of sugar. Mix to combine. Bring to a boil for 5 minutes, then lower heat and let simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or so. Taste and adjust salt to your liking.
- While the meat sauce is cooking, prepare the bechamel. In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Stir in flour, salt and pepper. Cook until golden (if needed, added a little more olive oil). Gradually add the warmed milk, whisking continuously. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes, until smooth and thick. Add nutmeg.
- In a small bowl, whisk a small amount of the hot bechamel mixture with the 2 eggs in a small bowl. Then return all to the pan with the remaining bechamel mixture. Continue to stir or whisk the mixture bringing to a gentle boil for just 2 more minutes. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Remove from heat and allow to cool and thicken a little more (you should have a creamy, thick and smooth bechamel sauce).
- Assemble the pastitsio. Top the cooked pasta with the meat sauce; smooth with a wooden spoon to fully cover the pasta. Now top the meat sauce with the bechamel topping. Again, smooth with your wooden spoon to cover the meat sauce evenly.
- Bake the pastitsio in 350 degrees F heated-oven for 1 hour until golden brown. Remove from heat and set aside for 10 minutes before serving. Cut into square pieces and serve.
Notes
- Pro Tips: 1. You can prepare Pastitsio the night before up to step #6. Cover tightly and refrigerate. Bake the next day when you are ready (budget 1 hour for baking per step #7.) 2.This recipe makes a large amount for big gatherings or if you like leftovers! But you can simply cut the recipe in half for a smaller crowd (you’ll need to watch baking time). 3. You can freeze leftovers in portions. Thaw in fridge overnight. When ready, heat in a medium-heated oven until warmed through.
- Featured Ingredients: Private Reserve Greek extra virgin olive oil (from organically grown and processed koroneiki olives); ground allspice; ground nutmeg.
- SAVE! Shop our Greek Olive Oil Bundle and our all-natural and organic spice collections: The Mediterranean Ultimate Spice Bundle; Mediterranean Essentials Bundle; or create your own 6-pack of spices!
- Category: Entree or Side Dish
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Greek
Keywords: Pastitsio, Pastitsio Recipe, Greek Baked Pasta, Pasta Casserole
Merry Christmas! Even though I have not yet made this recipe…it looks GREAT and something I would like to try. I have a question about the spices. Do you find the cinnamon/allspice to be overpowering or are they a subtle addition to this recipe. I cook with those ingredients but mainly in sweets. THANKS!
★★★★★
Hi Janet. Thank you! I’m excited for you to give this recipe a try. In my experience, the cinnamon and allspice here are the perfect subtle compliment. But if you’re unsure, you can start with a little less than the recipe calls for.
It’s in the oven now. Looking forward to it! Please post the chick pea/olive and tomato recipe.
Wonderful, Gordon. Not sure which recipe you are referring to, but if you look under the recipes tab, you’ll be able to search there.
Gordon, it is balela salad. https://www.themediterraneandish.com/balela-salad-recipe/
I can’t wait to try this recipe! I’m wondering.. if it’ll be as delicious with homemade sweet potato Gnocchi instead of the penne, and to leave out red wine and all spice? (As I don’t have those on hand)
Hi Lula, you can adapt this recipe to what you have on hand 🙂
Hi!
I tried this recipe and even if i didn’t have the wine and the allspice and the olive oil it still came out delicious.
Next time i will make sure to get all ingredients before making it.
I will definitely try other recipes from your site!
Thank you!
★★★★★
Awesome, Mia! Thanks so much for sharing
Excellent. Made for dinner tonight and everyone had two servings! Great dish if you have lots of people to serve. Very easy to make. Delicious flavor of nutmeg – just the right amount.
★★★★★
Yay! Thanks so much for sharing, Susan!
Tthank you darlin’. Everything looks so good. What a great holiday season my Greek husband will have with your help. All good wishes, Betsy
★★★★★
Thank you, Bette! So glad you’re enjoying the recipes! Happy Holidays!
I made this over the weekend for my family, it was fabulous. I did not have any red wine so just omitted it and it still tasted amazing. Will be making it again in the near future.
★★★★★
Yay! Mary, thanks so much for giving it a try!
Hi. Do you cover it in foil when you put it in the oven?
No need to cover, Yasmine. Enjoy!
Hi, I plan to cut this recipe in half and was wondering if the baking time would be less? Thanks!
Hi Chelsea. Yes, baking time will be shorter, likely. I’d watch for the bechamel to turn a nice golden color…start looking at around 30 minutes or so.
This is very yummy and just like I tried years ago – although from memory the becamel sauce was much deeper on top or am I doing something wrong?
Appreciate your advice
Thank you
Kind regards
Helen by no
So glad to hear it, Helen. If you want the bechamel needs to look deeper, you’ll want to be patient with it initially. Let the flour turn light brown, but you’ll want to be sure it doesn’t burn.
Made this tonight and the only changes I made were to add a little cayenne to the meat sauce, more salt to béchamel, and some grated Parmesan on top of both meat and béchamel sauces. My husband LOVED this and I was surprised because the last time I made pastitsio he did not like it. Your recipes are a treasure. Thank you.
★★★★★
So happy for you that you got snow!!!!!!
When I was a little girl, my great aunt Edna made Greek Pastitsio. Fast-forward 50 years–I’m perusing your web site and come across a recipe for it! It brought to mind the taste of this dish–isn’t it wonderful how we can remember the taste of foods from long ago? Well, I am happy to report that I just love your recipe! (And it did remind me of my early encounter with Pastitsio.) Thank you for taking the time to give us healthy recipes. I told my doctor that I’m now on the Mediterranean Diet, and he was very pleased.
Merry Christmas,
Joanne
Merry Christmas, Joanne! Thank you for your sweet note. I love to hear about childhood memories with food…warms my heart. Glad you enjoyed this recipe!
This recipe sounds delicious! Could it be prepared a day or two ahead and baked the day of serving? Thanks!
Hi Sheryl, yes, you can prepare this a day in advance. Cover tightly and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before you bake.
This looks fantastic! And what is that colorful scrumptious looking chick pea salad in the photo? Forget the turkey this week…bring on the chick peas and pasta!
Thank you, Paige! I’m kinda not a big turkey fan myself, so it’s great to have sides like this to enjoy, no?
Love your recipes, have tried many. Many ads, but I’ll be back!
Thank you, Monica, for the feedback. I am not in charge of ads per se, but I will pass this note on. I appreciate you understanding that ads support my work.
Can yoh freeze leftovers or would the bechamel sauce break down?
Hi, Wenda! So my mom used to freeze the leftovers all the time. Just use a freezer safe container with a tight lid. Thaw overnight in fridge, and then heat in medium-low oven.
What a lovely casserole. That sauce sounds delicious and I love how it cuts so neatly.
★★★★★
Hodgepodge casseroles are the best. This looks like total comfort food!
I’ve never had this before, but it reminds me of a simplified lasagna — and now I MUST make it. Yum!
★★★★★
Yes, you should totally try this, Lisa! Enjoy!
Wow! My hubby loves moussaka, he would love this one too! I would love to surprise him one day by trying this – I bet he would love it!
★★★★★
Yay! I hope you’ll give it a try soon!
What a lovely recipe! And isn’t it great that with a pan you can feed a whole crowd? 🙂
Totally! This is the perfect casserole for a crowd! Thanks for stopping in, Makos