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Easy Greek Pastitsio Recipe With Ground Beef and Béchamel

Bert Swope
Illustration of Easy Greek Pastitsio Recipe With Ground Beef and Béchamel

Easy Greek Pastitsio: Ground Beef Pasta Casserole With Béchamel

Pastitsio is a Greek baked pasta casserole with three distinct layers: tubular pasta, a seasoned ground beef sauce, and a thick blanket of béchamel. To get slices that hold together, cook the meat sauce until little free liquid remains, make the béchamel thick enough to coat a spoon, and let the baked casserole rest before cutting it.

The dish takes some time because each layer is prepared separately, but none of the steps is difficult. You can make the meat sauce ahead, and the béchamel comes together in one saucepan.

What makes pastitsio different?

Pastitsio is sometimes described as Greek lasagna. Both dishes are layered and baked, but pastitsio uses tubular pasta rather than flat sheets. Its top layer is béchamel, usually enriched with egg and cheese, which bakes into a tender, sliceable topping. The meat sauce often includes cinnamon, giving it a flavor distinct from a typical Italian-style tomato sauce.

It also differs from an ordinary beef noodle casserole. The pasta and meat stay in separate layers instead of being stirred together, and the béchamel forms a substantial top layer rather than a light coating of cheese. In Greece, pastitsio is commonly made with long, hollow pasta. Bucatini is a useful substitute in U.S. grocery stores; penne or ziti will also work, though the cut slices will look less uniform.

Greek Pastitsio Recipe

Yield: 8 to 10 servings
Prep time: About 35 minutes
Cook time: About 1 hour 20 minutes, plus pasta cooking
Resting time: 30 minutes
Total time: About 2 hours 30 minutes
Equipment: 9-by-13-inch (23-by-33-cm) baking dish, large pot, large skillet or Dutch oven, medium saucepan, whisk

Ingredients

Pasta layer

Meat sauce

Béchamel

Cook the meat sauce

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.
  2. Add the ground beef. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, breaking it into small pieces, until no pink remains. If a large amount of fat collects in the pan, spoon off the excess.
  3. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste. Cook for 1 minute, then add the crushed tomatoes, wine or water, cinnamon, oregano, bay leaf, salt, and pepper.
  4. Simmer uncovered over medium-low heat for 25 to 35 minutes, stirring occasionally. The finished sauce should be thick enough to mound slightly on a spoon, with no pool of liquid forming around it. Remove the bay leaf and taste for seasoning.

The sauce can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated in a covered container. Reheat it until warm before assembling so it spreads easily.

Cook the pasta

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until it is about 2 minutes short of the package’s al dente time. For many brands of bucatini, that means roughly 7 to 9 minutes; penne and ziti vary, so use the package directions as your starting point. The pasta should still have a firm center because it will cook further in the oven.

Drain thoroughly and let it cool for a few minutes, tossing once or twice to release steam. Add the olive oil, beaten egg, and ½ cup (50 g) cheese. Toss until the pasta is evenly coated.

Make the béchamel

  1. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for about 2 minutes, whisking steadily. The mixture should bubble but not brown.
  2. Add the milk gradually, whisking until smooth after each addition. Once all the milk is in the pan, cook for 6 to 10 minutes, stirring and scraping the bottom, until the sauce is thick and gently bubbling. It should coat a spoon heavily.
  3. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the salt and nutmeg. Let the sauce cool for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  4. Beat the eggs in a bowl. Whisk a few spoonfuls of warm béchamel into the eggs, then slowly whisk the egg mixture back into the saucepan. Stir in the ¾ cup (75 g) cheese. Taste and adjust the salt.

A simpler way to add the milk: Warm it in the microwave or a separate saucepan before whisking it into the butter and flour. Warm milk incorporates readily, though cold milk also works if added gradually. Keep the heat moderate and whisk out any lumps before adding more. If small lumps remain, whisk vigorously off the heat or strain the sauce before adding the eggs.

Assemble and bake

  1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly oil a 9-by-13-inch (23-by-33-cm) baking dish.
  2. Spread the pasta evenly in the dish. If using bucatini, you can arrange most of the strands lengthwise for neater slices, but there is no need to line up every piece.
  3. Spoon the meat sauce over the pasta and spread it to the edges. Pour the béchamel over the meat, smoothing the top with a spatula.
  4. Bake uncovered for 40 to 50 minutes, until the top is golden in spots and the casserole is bubbling gently at the edges. If the top browns too quickly, cover it loosely with foil.
  5. Set the dish on a rack and let it rest for at least 30 minutes before slicing. For the cleanest squares, wait 45 minutes. Serve warm.

How to keep the layers from turning watery

The meat sauce needs more reduction than a sauce meant for spooning over pasta. Crushed tomatoes and ground beef both release moisture as they cook. Simmering uncovered gives that liquid time to evaporate. If the sauce still looks loose after 35 minutes, keep cooking it, stirring more often as it thickens.

Drain the pasta well, too. Water trapped inside tubular pasta can collect at the bottom of the baking dish. Letting the drained pasta steam briefly before adding the egg and cheese helps remove some of that moisture. The egg and cheese give the pasta layer a little structure, but they cannot compensate for a wet sauce.

Béchamel should be thick before it goes into the oven. A thin sauce can seep through the meat layer and leave the top soft. The flour needs a few minutes of cooking with the milk to thicken fully; once the sauce bubbles, keep stirring until it coats the spoon heavily. The eggs help the topping set during baking, so let the béchamel cool briefly and temper them as directed to avoid bits of cooked egg in the saucepan.

Finally, give the casserole time to rest. Straight from the oven, the béchamel is soft and the layers shift under a knife. After 30 to 45 minutes, it will still be warm, but the slices will hold their shape much better. A sharp knife and a flat spatula make serving easier.

Make-ahead, freezing, and reheating

For a less crowded cooking day, prepare the meat sauce up to 2 days ahead. You can also assemble the entire casserole, cover it, and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours before baking. Keep it refrigerated until you are ready to cook it. A cold casserole may need an extra 10 to 15 minutes in the oven; check that the center is hot, not just the edges. If using a glass baking dish, follow the manufacturer’s guidance about moving it from the refrigerator to a hot oven.

Cooked pastitsio freezes well in portions. Let it cool, refrigerate it promptly, then wrap individual slices tightly and freeze for up to 2 months for best quality. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat covered in a 350°F (175°C) oven until hot throughout, usually 20 to 30 minutes for a thawed portion. Leftovers can also be microwaved in a covered, microwave-safe dish. Reheat leftovers to 165°F (74°C).

You can freeze a fully assembled, unbaked pastitsio, but the pasta may soften as it thaws and bakes. For a dish intended for the freezer, baking it first and freezing portions gives more predictable results.

A casserole worth letting rest

Pastitsio is ready when its top is browned, its edges bubble, and its center has had time to settle after baking. The work that makes it sliceable happens before it reaches the table: a reduced meat sauce, well-drained pasta, and a thick béchamel. Give it a proper rest, then cut through the layers and serve.

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