Greek Pastitsio — Baked Pasta with Meat Sauce and Béchamel
If moussaka is Sunday's dish, pastitsio is the dish for when the whole family is coming. It's generous, it's warming, and it gets better the next day. My Papou always said pastitsio was proof that Greeks invented comfort food.
Ingredients (serves 10)
- 500g (1 lb) penne or ziti pasta
- 700g (1.5 lbs) ground beef
- 1 large onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 400g (14 oz) crushed tomatoes
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp allspice
- Salt & pepper
- 3 tbsp Mr. Papou's 3 Liter Family Tin Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- ½ cup grated kefalotyri or Parmesan, divided
For the béchamel:
- 5 tbsp butter
- 5 tbsp flour
- 600ml (2½ cups) warm whole milk
- 2 eggs
- Pinch of nutmeg
Instructions
- Cook pasta until just al dente. Drain, toss with a drizzle of Mr. Papou's Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a pan. Brown the meat, add onion and garlic, cook until soft. Add tomatoes, cinnamon, allspice, salt, and pepper. Simmer 20 minutes.
- Make béchamel: melt butter, whisk in flour, add warm milk slowly, stir until thick. Off heat, whisk in eggs, half the cheese, and nutmeg.
- In a large baking dish, layer half the pasta, all the meat sauce, then the remaining pasta. Pour béchamel over the top and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
- Bake at 180°C/350°F for 45 minutes until golden. Rest 15 minutes before slicing.
