Pastitsio – Greek Lasagna with Cream Sauce

The Greek Glutton

Yields 12 servings

Pastitsio – Greek Lasagna with Cream Sauce

45 minPrep Time

45 minCook Time

1 hr, 30 Total Time

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Ingredients

For the meat sauce:
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 lbs / 900 grams ground beef (or lamb, or a mix of both)
• 2 onions, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 15oz / 2 425 gram cans chopped tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 4 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt and pepper to taste
For the pasta:
• 500g pastitsio pasta (or substitute with ziti or penne pasta)
• 2 tbsp butter
For the béchamel cream sauce:
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 7 tablespoons flour
• 3 cups milk
• 2 teaspoon nutmeg or allspice
• Salt and pepper, to taste
For the topping:
• 2 cups / 700 grams freshly grated kefalotiri cheese (or substitute parmesan)

Instructions

For the meat sauce:
• In a large skillet, heat up the olive oil on medium heat
• Add the onion and sautee until it loses its color (after about a few minutes)
• Add the garlic and sautee 1 more minute
• Add the beef and brown
• Stir in the canned tomatoes and tomato paste
• Mix in the nutmeg, ground cinnamon, and chopped parsley and add the cinnamon sticks and bay leaves
• Bring the mixture to a boil, then bring the heat to low and simmer about 30 minutes, until the mixture becomes thick
• Take the cinnamon sticks and bay leaves out
• While the meat sauce is simmering, preheat the oven to 350 F
For the pasta:
• Bring a pot of water to boil and add a pinch of salt
• Cook the pasta until it is al dente (in other words, not too soft)
• Drain the pasta
• In the same pot, melt the butter
• Return the pasta to the pot and gently mix the butter in
• Take care to not break the pasta
• Set aside to cool
For the béchamel cream sauce:
• Once the meat sauce is ready, or slightly before, make the béchamel sauce
• Heat the butter in a small saucepan on medium heat until it has melted
• Add the flour and milk and stir until smooth
• Add nutmeg/allspice, salt, and pepper
• Reduce the heat and cook for 5 minutes, stirring continuously
To assemble:
• While the béchamel is cooking and thickening, grease a baking dish with some olive oil
• Gently layer 1/4 of the pasta on the bottom of the dish
• Layer another 1/4 of the pasta on top, forming 2 layers
• Spoon the meat sauce over the pasta and spread it evenly
• Gently layer the second half of the pasta on top of the meat sauce in 2 layers again
• Cover with an even layer of the béchamel sauce and sprinkle the cheese on top
• Place in the oven to cook for about 30 minutes, or until the béchamel sauce has browned
Serving:
• Let the pastitsio cool for about 15 minutes before slicing
• Serve while hot
• Enjoy!

Notes