Greek pastitsio — baked pasta with minced meat and béchamel sauce

Pastitsio is the “Greek lasagna” — a warm dish of pasta, spiced meat sauce and a thick golden béchamel layer. A festive recipe worth trying.

Ingredients (for 8 people):

• 500 g thick pasta (pastitsio / bucatini / rigatoni)
• 700 g minced meat (beef or beef-goat mix)
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 800 g canned tomatoes (or 500 ml tomato juice)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 cup red wine (optional)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• 100 g kefalotyri or grated Parmesan, for the béchamel and on top

For the béchamel:

• 100 g butter
• 100 g flour
• 1 liter warm milk
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• Salt to taste

Preparation:

1. Boil the pasta in salted water 2–3 minutes less than the package says; drain and mix with 1 tablespoon oil and a little grated cheese.
2. In a large pan with olive oil, sauté the onion and garlic for 3–4 minutes, then add the minced meat and fry until browned.
3. Add the tomato paste, tomatoes, wine, cinnamon, oregano, nutmeg, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Simmer on low heat for 25–30 minutes until the sauce thickens. Remove the bay leaf.
4. For the béchamel: melt the butter, add the flour and stir for 2 minutes. Gradually add the warm milk while stirring constantly until it thickens. Remove from heat, add the nutmeg, salt, cheese and the beaten eggs, stirring quickly.
5. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a large baking dish with butter. Layer half the pasta, then all the meat sauce, then the other half of the pasta.
6. Pour the béchamel on top and level it. Sprinkle with grated cheese.
7. Bake for 40–45 minutes until the surface turns golden. Let it rest for 15 minutes before cutting into squares.

Prep time: 30 minutes | Cook time: 45 minutes | Servings: 8