Greek Pastitsio Recipe (Greek Lasagna)

5 from 1 vote

Greek Pastitsio Recipe, (or Greek Lasagna - Greek Macaroni), is a favorite comfort food of mine, especially when I need to feed a crowd.

Prep Time30

Cook Time45

Total Time1 15

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Greek, Mediterranean

Servings: people

Calories: 848kcal

To make the meat sauce, heat a large pan or a Dutch oven on medium heat and put the ground beef in.
Cook the meat until it releases its fat and is nicely browned. Break the mince down into small pieces with a wooden spoon while cooking.
Add the onions and garlic to the pan and sauté them until they become translucent in the fat released by the meat. If the meat doesn't release enough fat, you can add some olive oil to help cook the onions and garlic.
Pour in red wine, allowing it to simmer until reduced by half.
Next, add the freshly ground black pepper, tomato paste, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, stock cube, bay leaves, and salt. Sauté everything for about 30 seconds.
Stir in the chopped tomatoes, and simmer uncovered over low heat for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens.
Remove bay leaves and let the meat sauce cool down while preparing the bechamel sauce and cooking the pasta.

To make the béchamel sauce, in a separate saucepan, melt unsalted butter over medium heat.
Add flour to the melted butter, stirring constantly to form a smooth paste. Cook for about 1-2 minutes. Don't let it brown; it needs to stay pale in color.
Gradually pour in milk, whisking constantly to avoid lumps, until the mixture thickens and becomes smooth. The sauce can stick to the bottom of the pan and burn easily, so be sure to keep stirring it constantly.
Season the sauce with salt and nutmeg, then remove from heat.
Let the sauce cool down for 5 minutes, then stir in yogurt, egg yolks, and half of the grated parmesan cheese until well combined. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F).
Cook the bucatini (or penne, or ziti) pasta for 3-4 minutes less than the package instructions.
Drain and place the pasta in a large mixing bowl, toss with egg whites and crumbled feta cheese until well coated.
Lightly grease a rectangular dish approximately size of 33 cm x 22 cm (13" x 9") with a minimum of 9 cm (3.5") depth.
Layer the pasta in your prepared baking dish, pour the meat sauce over it, and spread it out evenly.
Pour the prepared béchamel sauce evenly over the meat sauce, then use a spatula to smooth it out.
Sprinkle the remaining half of the grated Parmesan cheese on top and bake in the preheated oven for 35-45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and bubbly.
Allow the pastitsio to cool for 15-20 minutes before slicing it into squares and serving.

Use full-fat Greek yogurt for a creamier texture in the béchamel sauce.
Remove the bay leaves before building your Greek Lasagne dish.
Don't skip the nutmeg in the béchamel sauce—it adds a unique flavor that complements the dish.
Let the Pastitsio cool for 15-20 minutes before slicing it into squares and serving.
If you're short on time, you can prepare the meat sauce and béchamel sauce ahead of time and assemble the pastitsio when you're ready to bake it.