Pastitsio
Greek baked pasta: long tubes of bucatini or ziti layered with cinnamon-spiced beef ragù and topped with a thick béchamel. The Greek answer to lasagne; richer, sweeter, defined by the spices.
Overview
Pasta tubes get a quick boil and a buttery toss. A beef ragù with cinnamon, allspice and a touch of tomato cooks while the pasta drains. Béchamel, thick, egg-bound, cheese-spiked, pours over the top. Bakes until the surface is mahogany-bronze.
Ingredients
Pasta
- 400 g bucatini (or ziti)
- 30 g unsalted butter
- 50 g grated kefalotyri (or parmesan cheese)
- 1 egg (beaten)
Beef ragù
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion (finely chopped)
- 4 garlic cloves (crushed)
- 700 g beef mince
- 2 tablespoons tomato purée
- 400 g tinned chopped tomatoes
- 150 ml red wine
- 1 cinnamon stick
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- salt
- pepper
Béchamel
- 75 g unsalted butter
- 75 g plain flour
- 800 ml whole milk (warm)
- 2 eggs (large, beaten)
- 100 g grated kefalotyri (or parmesan cheese)
- A grating of nutmeg
Method
Stage 1 - Beef ragù
- Heat the oil; cook the onion 8 minutes; add garlic 1 minute.
- Brown the beef thoroughly.
- Stir in tomato purée; pour wine; let bubble away.
- Add tomatoes, cinnamon, allspice, bay, oregano. Season.
- Simmer 25-30 minutes until thick. Discard cinnamon and bay.
Stage 2 - Pasta
- Cook the pasta in salted water 1 minute shy of al dente; drain.
- Toss with butter, cheese and the beaten egg (the egg sets the layer in the oven).
Stage 3 - Béchamel
- Melt butter; whisk in flour; cook 1 minute.
- Add warm milk gradually, whisking until thick.
- Off the heat, beat in eggs (whisk fast), cheese and nutmeg.
Stage 4 - Assemble and bake
- Heat oven to 180°C (160°C fan).
- In a deep 30 x 20 cm baking dish: half the pasta, all the beef, remaining pasta.
- Pour béchamel evenly across the top.
- Bake 40-45 minutes until deep golden.
- Rest 15 minutes before slicing.
Notes
- Tubular pasta only: Bucatini or ziti so the long noodles slice through neatly. Penne or short pasta give a crumbly texture.
- Egg in the pasta layer: Sets the bottom into a sliceable layer; without it the noodles slip apart.
- Cinnamon defines it: Like moussaka. A pastitsio without cinnamon is a Greek-flavoured lasagne.
Storage
- Improves overnight. Keeps 4 days refrigerated.
- Freezes 3 months.
Recipes mentioned here
Moussaka
Aubergines and potatoes pan-fry or roast separately. Lamb mince cooks down with onion, garlic, cinnamon and tomato into a rich ragù. The layers go into a deep dish, topped with a cheese-rich béchamel that sets golden in the oven.
Lasagne
A rich, layered Italian baked pasta combining slow-cooked meat ragù with silky béchamel enriched with basil pesto. Homemade fresh pasta sheets are essential for the melt-in-the-mouth texture that sets this lasagne apart. The pesto adds a distinctive herbaceous note that complements the béchamel beautifully.
More like this
Moussaka
Aubergines and potatoes pan-fry or roast separately. Lamb mince cooks down with onion, garlic, cinnamon and tomato into a rich ragù. The layers go into a deep dish, topped with a cheese-rich béchamel that sets golden in the oven.
Ragù with Gnocchi
This ragù blends deep browning, layered aromatics, and a long, gentle oven braise to create a sauce with rich umami, silky texture, and balanced brightness. A two-milk finish adds softness, while a quick red wine gastrique lifts the sauce at the end.
Restaurant-Style Ragù
True ragu demands patience, precision, and respect for the process. Ground beef (or a beef and pork mix) browns deeply in batches to build caramelization without steaming. Aromatic vegetables soften slowly until sweet. Tomato paste darkens and concentrates its flavor through caramelization. Red wine deglazes and cooks off. Then comes the long, gentle simmer, 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours, where flavors meld and deepen into something far greater than the sum of its parts. This is not a quick sauce; it is an investment in excellence.
Greek Lamb Burger
This burger borrows from the souvlaki and bifteki tradition of mainland Greece, where minced lamb or a lamb-beef mix is seasoned with dried oregano, garlic and a slug of red wine vinegar, then grilled over charcoal until the outside is dark and the inside still blushes pink. Crumbling feta directly into the mince is a home-cook trick: as the cheese melts it leaves salty, creamy seams through the patty rather than sitting flat on top. The result is much more interesting than a beef burger dressed up with Mediterranean toppings. The supporting cast is straightforward and traditional: a quick tzatziki of strained yoghurt, cucumber, garlic and dill; a sharp tomato and cucumber relish loosened with olive oil; and either toasted pita or a soft brioche bun, depending on whether you want this to lean Greek street food or backyard barbecue. Lamb is forgiving on the grill because its fat is so flavourful, but it can taste muttony if overcooked, so aim for an internal temperature around 60 to 63 degrees. Difficulty is low. The only thing to watch is keeping the mince loose: if you pack the patty tightly it goes dense and rubbery, so handle it just enough to hold together. Serve with a glass of something cold and resinous.