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Pastitsio is a Greek baked pasta dish: thick tubular pasta, a cinnamon-spiced meat sauce and a generous layer of béchamel. It is often compared to lasagne, but the pasta and the spicing make it distinctly Greek.
Serves: 8 | Prep: 30 min | Cook: 90 min plus 15 min resting
Ingredients
- 500 g pastitsio pasta (ziti no. 2) or bucatini
- 600 g minced beef or lamb
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 400 g chopped tomatoes
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- Olive oil, salt and pepper
- 150 g grated kefalotyri or kefalograviera
- 80 g butter
- 80 g plain flour
- 1 litre milk
- 2 eggs
- Pinch of nutmeg
Method
- Soften the onion and garlic in olive oil, brown the mince and add tomatoes, tomato paste and cinnamon. Simmer for 30 minutes until thick and season.
- Cook the pasta 2 minutes less than the packet says, drain and toss with a third of the cheese.
- For the béchamel, melt the butter, stir in the flour, whisk in the milk and cook until thick. Off the heat, beat in the eggs, nutmeg and another third of the cheese.
- Heat the oven to 180°C. Layer half the pasta, all the meat sauce and the rest of the pasta in a buttered dish.
- Pour over the béchamel, sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake for 45 to 50 minutes until golden.
- Rest for 15 minutes before cutting.
Tips
- Undercook the pasta slightly; it finishes cooking in the oven.
- Reduce the meat sauce well, or the dish turns watery.
Products from Bakaliko
- Melissa - Ziti No. 2 Pastitsio 500 g
- Bafas - Kefalograviera from Epirus 300 g
- Kyknos - Chopped Tomatoes 400 g
- Kagia - Grated Nutmeg 10 g