Greek Pastitsio
Pastitsio is the Greek take on a baked tray of pasta and béchamel. The difference is in the meat, which carries warm spices (cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice) and wine or stock, and in the béchamel, which is very thick and enriched with cheese and eggs.
- Prep
- 45 min
- Cook
- 60 min
- Total
- 105 min
- Calories
- 520
Photo: Sam Bailey — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Pastitsio is the Greek party tray, very close in spirit to Egyptian macaroni béchamel — but the warm spices in the meat are what give it its own character.
Method
-
1
Meat sauce
Sauté the onion in oil for 7 minutes, then add the garlic and meat over high heat until browned. Drain off the excess fat — it is the main reason for a watery tray. Return the meat to the pan, add the tomato paste and fry it for 2 minutes.
-
2
Spices and simmering
Add the crushed tomatoes, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, nutmeg, allspice, salt and pepper. Simmer over low heat for 30–40 minutes until the sauce thickens and turns jammy, not runny. Remove the cinnamon and bay leaves at the end.
-
3
The pasta
Boil the pasta in salted water for 2 minutes less than the packet time — it will finish cooking in the oven. Drain it without rinsing and toss with a spoon of butter so it doesn’t stick.
-
4
A thick béchamel
Melt the butter, add the flour and whisk for 2 minutes until the raw flour smell disappears. Pour in cold milk gradually while whisking constantly — cold milk into a hot roux is the rule that prevents lumps. Keep stirring for 10 minutes until very thick. Add half the cheese and a pinch of nutmeg.
-
5
Eggs in the béchamel
Let the béchamel cool to warm (not hot) for 5 minutes, then beat the two eggs in a cup and quickly whisk in a ladle of béchamel to temper them, then stir the mixture back into the pan. The eggs are what hold the tray together so it cuts into clean squares.
-
6
Assembly and baking
In a greased tray: a layer of half the pasta mixed with a little béchamel and cheese, then all the meat, then the rest of the pasta, then the béchamel covering everything, then the remaining cheese. Bake at 180°C for 45–50 minutes until golden on top. Let it rest for 20 minutes before cutting — this step is not optional.
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Tips that actually matter
- Drain the fat from the meat — the most common cause of a watery tray that falls apart.
- The cinnamon stick in the meat sauce is the signature of the Greek dish — it adds a hidden warmth without tasting of cinnamon.
- Add the eggs to warm, not hot, béchamel — hot béchamel scrambles them into lumps.
- The 20-minute rest after the oven is the difference between clean squares and a tray that collapses.
People also ask
What is the difference between pastitsio and Egyptian macaroni béchamel?
The idea is the same; the difference is the seasoning. Pastitsio’s meat has cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and slow-cooked tomato, and its béchamel has cheese and eggs. The Egyptian version is simpler on spices.
Why does the tray fall apart when I cut it?
It usually didn’t rest long enough, or the béchamel was too thin. Leave it 20 minutes after baking so the béchamel sets and the eggs finish binding, and use a thick béchamel (120 g butter and flour per litre of milk).
Which pasta is best for pastitsio?
Thick hollow pasta — bucatini, ziti or large penne. The tube shape holds the béchamel and meat, and the thick walls survive the oven. Thin shapes turn mushy.
Can I make it a day ahead?
Yes. Assemble the whole tray, cover and refrigerate for up to two days, and add 15 minutes to the baking time because it goes in cold. It also freezes before baking for up to 3 months.
Cook mode
Greek Pastitsio
-
1
Meat sauce
Sauté the onion in oil for 7 minutes, then add the garlic and meat over high heat until browned. Drain off the excess fat — it is the main reason for a watery tray. Return the meat to the pan, add the tomato paste and fry it for 2 minutes.
-
2
Spices and simmering
Add the crushed tomatoes, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, nutmeg, allspice, salt and pepper. Simmer over low heat for 30–40 minutes until the sauce thickens and turns jammy, not runny. Remove the cinnamon and bay leaves at the end.
-
3
The pasta
Boil the pasta in salted water for 2 minutes less than the packet time — it will finish cooking in the oven. Drain it without rinsing and toss with a spoon of butter so it doesn’t stick.
-
4
A thick béchamel
Melt the butter, add the flour and whisk for 2 minutes until the raw flour smell disappears. Pour in cold milk gradually while whisking constantly — cold milk into a hot roux is the rule that prevents lumps. Keep stirring for 10 minutes until very thick. Add half the cheese and a pinch of nutmeg.
-
5
Eggs in the béchamel
Let the béchamel cool to warm (not hot) for 5 minutes, then beat the two eggs in a cup and quickly whisk in a ladle of béchamel to temper them, then stir the mixture back into the pan. The eggs are what hold the tray together so it cuts into clean squares.
-
6
Assembly and baking
In a greased tray: a layer of half the pasta mixed with a little béchamel and cheese, then all the meat, then the rest of the pasta, then the béchamel covering everything, then the remaining cheese. Bake at 180°C for 45–50 minutes until golden on top. Let it rest for 20 minutes before cutting — this step is not optional.
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