Pastitsio

5 from 3 votes

If you’ve never had Pastitsio before, you must try it. It’s like having Italian lasagna but a Greek version, packed with wonderful flavors!

Prep Time30

Cook Time2

Passive time15

Servings:

Author: Francine Lizotte

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Greek

Keyword Beef, Casserole, Comfort Food, Lamb, Pasta, Potluck

2 tbsp. olive oil tips & tricks
2 cups white onions, chopped
ground Himalayan sea salt, to taste and divided
1 lb. ground lamb
1 lb. ground beef
freshly ground black pepper, to taste and divided (I always use mixed peppercorns)
4 large cloves garlic, pressed
2 tbsp. tomato paste tips & tricks
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 can (28 oz./796 ml.) fire roasted crushed tomatoes
1 tbsp. granulated sugar
1 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1 large bay leaf
3/4 tsp. cayenne pepper, or to taste optional

In a large saucepan over medium heat, add oil and when hot, add onions and sprinkle on ground sea salt; sauté for 2 minutes.
Add ground lamb and ground beef; cook until browned, breaking into small pieces. Halfway through cooking, season with freshly ground black pepper before adding pressed garlic; stir well.
When the meat is almost done; add tomato paste. Stir until well combined and finish cooking the meat.
Add dry red wine, stir, increase the heat to medium-high, and cook until the liquid is evaporated including the fat, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Add fire roasted crushed tomatoes, granulated sugar, thyme leaves, oregano, cinnamon, ground cloves, freshly ground black pepper and ground sea salt. Stir to blend and add bay leaf.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and let it simmer gently for 30 to 35 minutes or until the sauce thickens, stirring occasionally. If desired, add cayenne pepper to the mixture.
When time is up and the sauce is thick, discard the bay leaf and remove from the heat and let it cool off while making the béchamel sauce.

In a 4-quart pot over medium heat, add butter and when melted, add flour; whisk the roux for 5 minutes.
Pour in the warm milk while whisking continuously until all incorporated and the sauce is smooth with no lumps. Add freshly grated nutmeg, ground sea salt and white pepper; whisk until well blended.
Temper the egg yolks by scooping up some béchamel and slowly adding it to them, whisking constantly. After a few ladles, add warmed yolks to the pot and whisk them into the mixture.
Add a ¼ cup at a time of Kefalotyri cheese and whisk until well incorporated between each addition. Keep the sauce warm while looking after the pasta.

In a large pot, boil salted water before adding the noodles. Cook 3 minutes LESS than the package directions.
When time is up, drain very well before returning the pasta back to the pot. Add egg whites and cheese; stir gently to coat.

Preheat oven to 350ºF/177ºC
Place pasta mixture in a large 9x13x3-inch deep baking dish, lightly greased. Arrange the noodles lengthwise to get them lined up, using a pasta fork or clean hands.
Top the noodles with the meat sauce and evenly spread it out, pressing it down gently and leveling it out. Sprinkle on 1 cup of cheese before pouring in béchamel sauce; spread it out evenly and smoothing out the surface with a spatula. Sprinkle on 1 ½ cups of cheese to evenly cover the entire surface.
Place the baking dish on a large baking sheet just in case it overflows and transfer to the preheated oven. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until the top starts getting a little brown.
When time is up, put the broiler on “low” and continue to bake for 5 to 8 minutes or until nice and brown.
Carefully remove from the heat, sprinkle on some fresh chopped parsley and let it rest for 15 minutes before serving so it stays together for a nice presentation.

Footnote: This recipe uses Kefalotyri cheese but if you can't find it, use either Parmesan or Romano cheese.