Name: Pastitsio - Greek Baked Lasagna
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: 12 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided; 3 cups ziti, cooked; 1 lb. ground lamb; ½ cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated; 4 cloves garlic, minced; ½ cup red wine (see notes*); 1 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes; 2 teaspoons organic honey; 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves, rounded; 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon; 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg, divided in half; 1 teaspoon ground allspice; ⅔ cup all-purpose flour; 4 cups milk; 2 large eggs; salt; black pepper

Jump to Recipe

30 Days of Greek Cooking: Day 7 of 30

Tonight, I decided to learn how to make one of my all-time favorite Greek dishes: Pastitsio! Since I’m cooking my way through 30 days of traditional Greek cuisine, this meal was a must. Pastitsio is literally what I order EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. I’m at a Greek restaurant, unless I pull an audible and order rosemary lamb chops. Although I’ve been excited to learn how to make this, it was not easy by any means to make the béchamel and meat sauce at the same time… especially because I was also preparing a side dish in the process. It was a lot of whisking and zero downtime, so be prepared to stand over your stove until it’s time to put the pastitsio in the oven!

I chose to serve this dish alongside Greek potatoes in red sauce so I could use that leftover sauce to drizzle some on top of the pastitsio. This pairing is absolutely delicious & totally filling. Since my fiancé is a lover of all things meaty with red sauce and potatoes, it was an easy sell.

What is Pastitsio?

Pastitsio (pronounced “puh-STEETS-yoh”) is basically the Greek equivalent to Italian baked lasagna. It’s the ultimate Greek comfort food, similar to moussaka. If you love Italian lasagna and moussaka, pastitsio falls directly in the middle of the two. Ziti is layered on the bottom of a baking dish covered by a lamb meat sauce and topped with traditional béchamel. Perk: it’s inexpensive to make and extremely delicious! In fact, you probably already have most of the ingredients in your fridge and pantry.

This filling Greek baked pasta dish is made of ziti, ground lamb, cinnamon tomato sauce, cheese, and béchamel sauce. It’s not for certain where it truly originates, but it falls under traditional Greek cuisine. It’s commonly served at weddings, feasts, and other group gatherings in Greece. Béchamel, on the other hand, is actually a white sauce of Italian origin. It was originally called “balsamella” or “besciamella” by the Italians and then adapted to “béchamel” by the French.

Béchamel tends to come off as intimidating, but it’s well worth the challenge as long as you keep an eye on it. The tip is to continuously whisk so that it doesn’t get too chunky or burn. Making béchamel requires your full attention. If you’re discouraged, maybe try making a batch earlier in the day before going for the full deal. Store-bought béchamel should be out of the question. It will never taste the same. Keep trying and see if you can get the hang of it! When in doubt, just keep whisking.

Items you’ll need to make this recipe:

Cutting board & knife
Large skillet
Baking dish with airtight lid (for easy storing of leftovers)
Large pot
Small saucepan
Large saucepan
Strainer (the kind you put over a pot)
Wooden spoons
Silicone spatula (for béchamel)

Pastitsio – Greek Baked Lasagna

Author: Christina Taylor
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Yield: 6 servings

Print Recipe

Description

Pastitsio is a filling Greek baked pasta dish with ziti, ground lamb, traditional tomato sauce, cheese, and béchamel sauce.

Instructions

Prepare medium-sized baking dish by drizzling 2 tablespoons of EVOO on the bottom and set aside. Preheat oven to 350°F.
Fill a large pot ¾ of the way with water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, cook ziti to “al dente” according to instructions on package.
When ziti is cooked to “al dente,” strain and transfer to baking dish. Keep the strainer aside to use for later. Drizzle ziti with 1 tablespoon EVOO and sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese. Toss to combine. Layer the ziti in the bottom of the dish so that there are no spaces and then set aside.
Heat 2 tablespoons EVOO in a large skillet over medium heat until EVOO is shimmering, but not smoking. Add onion and sauteé for 3 minutes. Add garlic and sauteé for 1 minute. Add ground lamb in crumbles and season with a little salt and pepper. Stirring regularly, cook lamb for about 10 minutes until fully browned.
When lamb is ready, strain excess fat from meat and return to stove.
Keep heat at medium and add red wine, passata, chopped fresh oregano, allspice, ½ teaspoon nutmeg, cinnamon, & honey to skillet with lamb mixture. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.
While meat sauce is simmering, heat 6 tablespoons EVOO over medium heat in a large saucepan until shimmering, but not smoking. Stir in flour and a little salt and pepper. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat milk until lukewarm.
Remove milk from heat once warm. This step makes the béchamel sauce. Cook flour mixture in large saucepan until golden and covered in olive oil. Slowly add milk into saucepan with flour, whisking continuously. Cook over medium heat for 7 minutes while continuing to whisk periodically as the mixture combines and thickens. Once mixture is thick, add other ½ teaspoon nutmeg and pinch of salt & pepper.
Taste meat sauce and adjust salt and pepper to your preference. Keep on stove at a very low setting until ready to use.
Whisk 4 spoonfuls béchamel sauce with eggs in a small bowl. Pour mixture into saucepan with rest of béchamel sauce as you whisk. While whisking continuously, bring to a boil. Let boil for 2 minutes. Ensure there are no remaining chunks in sauce. Remove from heat and allow to cool/thicken. Once finished, béchamel sauce should be thick and creamy, but also smooth (no chunks).
Add meat sauce on top of ziti in baking dish and even out with wooden spoon. Ensure sauce completely covers ziti in dish. Top meat sauce with béchamel with a spatula. Smooth béchamel out on top with spatula and ensure it’s evenly distributed.
Place dish in preheated oven. Bake for 1 hour until top is golden brown.
When pastitsio is finished, remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes. Once ready, cut in squares and serve with your favorite side.

Notes

use a nice Agiorgitiko to keep it Greek. Sangiovese hails from nearby Italy and will also work well with this dish. If you’re in a pinch or can’t find either of these in your area, then shoot for a Cabernet or bold blend.

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Category: Dinner
Method: Oven Baked
Cuisine: Greek

Keywords: beginner greek food, beginner greek recipe, traditional greek food, traditional, traditional greek recipe, greek food, greek recipe, greek lasagna, greek baked lasagna, baked lasagna, lasagna, lasagne, greek lasagne, greek baked lasagne, greek lasagna recipe, béchamel, béchamel sauce, white sauce, cream sauce, greek béchamel, greek pastitsio, greek pasta, pasta, olive oil, extra virgin olive oil, EVOO, ziti, cooked ziti, baked ziti, lamb, ground lamb, lamb mince, ground meat, ground chuck, lamb chuck, lean meat, parmesan cheese, parmesan, italian cheese, white cheese, grated cheese, grated parmesan, parmesan brick, fresh parmesan, freshly grated cheese, freshly grated parmesan, garlic, minced garlic, red wine, dry red wine, cooking wine, cooking red wine, wine, greek wine, greek red wine, sangiovese, agiorgitiko, bold blend, bold red wine, red blend, cabernet, cabernet sauvignon, crushed tomatoes, canned tomatoes, tomato, can crushed tomatoes, strained tomatoes, greek tomatoes, honey, organic honey, natural sweetener, herb, herbs, fresh herbs, fresh herb, oregano, fresh oregano, greek oregano, oregano leaves, fresh oregano leaves, chopped oregano, spice, spices, ground spices, cinnamon, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ground nutmeg, allspice, ground allspice, flour, all-purpose flour, thickening agent, thicken flour, milk, whole milk, eggs, egg yolk