Pastitsio is the ultimate Greek comfort food, but it’s often overlooked in favour of moussaka (also delicious, but not in the same league…)
Think of pastitsio as like a Greek lasagne. It features pasta mixed with salty crumbly feta, topped with a rich meat sauce flavoured with cinnamon and nutmeg, all finished with a creamy Greek bechamel which is enriched with egg yolk.
All in all, it’s a little piece of heaven. My version is a little different to the traditional one because I use penne rather than bucatini. There are a couple of reasons for this – firstly, penne is much easier to get hold of without having to hunt online, and secondly I find it works better when you’re going to eat the pastitsio immediately rather than let it sit and rest for a while before eating (as is traditional, but I have never managed to do).
Pastitsio – Ingredients, Substitutions and Variations
The bottom layer
Layer one is made up of penne, feta and egg whites (we use the egg yolk later on). The little feta nuggets throughout the pasta are so tasty! The egg gently binds the pasta together, making it hold together much more than it would in, for example, a pasta bake.
The middle layer
The middle layer is my favourite! A beef sauce flavoured with ground cinnamon and clove. It’s utterly delicious – and completely different to your bolognese sauce. For this layer, it’s best to reduce down and give it plenty of time to cook – the more those flavours get to deepen, the better. The other ingredients you’ll need for the meat sauce are onion, garlic, beef mince, passata and bay.
The top layer
The top layer of pastitsio is much like the top layer of a moussaka. You make a bechamel (flour and butter, milk, whisk until it thickens), then add a little ground nutmeg and the egg yolks. The egg yolks set the top layer a little, so that it’s a different texture to the top of a lasagne, for example. The whole thing is then topped with a generous grating of hard cheese (I use Parmesan – Greek varieties are not readily available where I live).
Tip Tips
- Take your time
This is not a dish to make when you need a quick and easy dinner. It needs time and patience. I often make the meat sauce in the morning and let it blip away for most of the day, then make the pasta and topping just before I’m ready to cook. Remember, it needs baking time too!
- Get ahead
Pastitsio is GREAT for freezing. In fact, I made it when I was heavily pregnant and stored portions in the freezer to reheat when baby arrived. It was the best gift to myself! It will freeze for up to three months.
- Layering
If possible, let all of the components cool slightly before starting the layering process. If your topping gets too thick when you leave it, just give it another whisk and it will loosen up.
Get the cook books:
Penne Pastitsio
Save This RecipeIngredients
For the beef sauce
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 brown onion
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 500 g beef mince
- 680 g passata
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 bay leaf
For the bechamel sauce
- 70 g butter
- 70 g plain flour
- 1.5 pint milk
- 0.5 tsp nutmeg
- 2 egg yolks
- 150 g Parmesan
For the pasta
- 500 g penne
- 100 g feta
- 2 egg whites
Instructions
For the beef sauce
- Put a large pan on a medium heat and add the olive oil. Peel and finely chop the onion. Add to the pan and cook gently for 5 minutes.
- Peel and chop the garlic cloves. Add to the pan and sizzle for 30 seconds, then tip in the beef mince. Cook, stirring regularly, until browned.
- Pour in the passata. Add the nutmeg, cinnamon and bay leaf and a pinch of salt and pepper. Turn the heat to low and let it simmer for at least 45 minutes. It should be a thick sauce, but if it looks like it’s getting too dry add a splash of water.
For the bechamel topping
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the flour and whisk to form a thick paste.
- Turn the heat off, then gradually add the milk, whisking all the time. When all of the milk has been added, turn the heat back on and continue whisking until the sauce thickens.
- Turn the heat off and add the nutmeg and yolks – whisk. Leave until you’re ready to layer, reserving the Parmesan for the end.
For the pasta
- Cook the pasta according to packet instructions. Drain.
- Crumble the feta and mix in with the pasta.
- When the pasta has cooled slightly, gently stir in the egg whites then tip into a large ovenproof baking dish. Use a wooden spoon to pat the pasta down to create an even layer. Leave until you are ready to bake.
Baking the pastitsio
- When you’re ready, preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.
- Pour the meat sauce on top of the pasta in the baking dish. Pat down to create a smooth layer.
- Pour the bechamel on top of this (be careful, it will be a tight fit!) and sprinkle the Parmesan on top.
- Bake in the oven for 30-45 minutes until golden brown.
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