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There’s something magical about the way pasta, meat sauce, and creamy béchamel come together in this Greek pastitsio recipe. Often lovingly referred to as Greek lasagna, this Greek pasta bake has layers of perfectly cooked pasta that mingle with a rich, cinnamon-spiced meat sauce, all blanketed under a velvety blanket of creamy béchamel. Whether you’re cooking for a crowd or simply craving a hearty, soul-warming meal, this pastitsio is guaranteed to become a new favorite baked pasta recipe.
This cozy Greek baked pasta dish is packed with flavor. Pastitsio is a beautiful harmony of meat, pasta, cheese, bechamel sauce, and warm earthy herbs.
Do you love pasta? If so, you might also like stuffed rigatoni pasta pie, ricotta beef stuffed pasta shells, pepperoni lasagna, and pasta alla norma.
Why You’ll Love It
The flavors are incredible: Every component of pastitsio is wonderful, from the meat sauce flavored with red wine and spices to the creamy bechamel sauce and the al dente pastitsio pasta.
An elegant looking dish: The cross-section of the pastitsio is so pretty. This layered dish isn’t hard to assemble but it’s worth it for the presentation.
Filling and hearty: Nobody is left hungry after eating this rich and hearty dish. It’s really satisfying.
Greek Pasta Bake Ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Ground beef: Choose extra-lean or lean ground beef (90/10) as you’ll be discarding the excess grease anyway.
Spices: Cinnamon and cloves add warm, earthy flavors to the dish.
Red wine: Use Greek red wine if you have it, otherwise any red wine will work.
Garlic: Add extra if you like!
Vegetables: Carrot and red onion add color and texture.
Whole milk: For the bechamel sauce.
Crushed tomatoes: For the meat sauce.
Cheese: This pastitsio recipe uses pecorino romano cheese and feta cheese.
Eggs: The yolks are for the bechamel sauce and the egg whites are to make the pasta stick together better.
How to Make Greek Lasagna
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
Cook the beef: Cook the beef over a medium heat until no longer pink, drain any excess grease and remove it to a bowl.
Make the meat and tomato sauce: Sauté the garlic, carrot and onion in olive oil until soft and then with a wooden spoon stir in the beef, red wine, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, ground cinnamon, ground clove, salt, and pepper. Simmer for an hour then discard the cinnamon stick and bay leaf.
Make the Greek béchamel sauce: Melt the butter and mix in the flour to make a roux. Cook some more and then add the milk, whisking constantly. Add the nutmeg and cook until thick. Stir in the pecorano cheese and season with salt and pepper. Let it cool a little and then whisk in the egg yolks.
Cook the pasta: Cook the pasta. Whisk the egg whites, whole egg and some shredded pecorino romano cheese. Drain the pasta and then fold in the egg mixture.
Assemble the casserole: Put the pasta in the dish with all the noodles facing in the same direction. Level the top. Pour the meat sauce over the pasta layer. Pour the bechamel sauce over that.
Bake the pastitsio: Bake until golden brown, adding foil after half an hour or so if needed to stop the top from burning. Let it cool and then cut and serve with feta cheese, some extra sauce and fresh chopped basil on top.
Substitutions and Variations
Gluten-free option: If you want a gluten-free version, use gluten-free pasta in this Greek pasta dish and gluten-free flour in the roux.
Pastitsio pasta: If unavailable, use small penne pasta instead. (I use these pastitsio pasta noodles!)
Ground beef: Ground lamb is also delicious in the meat sauce layer. Ground turkey would work at a pinch but wouldn’t be as meaty as beef or lamb.
Different sized casserole dish: If you only have a 10 x 15-inch baking dish, you can use that instead. You will get thinner layers in this baking dish but it’ll work.
Bechamel sauce: For a unique variation, you could use a creamy ricotta-based sauce. However, it will not have the same flavor profile.
Cheese: You can use parmesan cheese in place of the pecorino romano cheese. It’s not as salty but it’s similar enough to use in this Greek lasagna recipe.
Red wine: You can use alcohol-free red wine or substitute red grape juice (the kind with no added sugar so it’s not too sweet). Low sodium beef broth is another option.
Serving Suggestions
Appetizers: Begin your Greek meal with chicken and lemon soup.
Side dishes: Pastitsio is delicious paired with roasted acorn squash or your favorite vegetable side dish. Other options are crusty bread or a simple quinoa salad.
Desserts: Finish up with this apple pie cheesecake dip.
How to Store a Greek Beef Pasta Bake
Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and eat within 3 days.
Freeze: You can freeze this dish in portions in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Thaw: Defrost it in the refrigerator overnight.
Reheat: In a microwave-safe dish, reheat leftovers at 50 or 60% power for 3 to 4 minutes until warmed.
Top Tips
Smooth bechamel sauce: Whisking constantly when adding the milk to the roux is important to get the sauce smooth, and having milk at room temperature will help avoid lumps when making it. The sauce is done when it’s thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Shredded cheese: It’s best to make your own shredded or grated cheese because the pre-shredded kind doesn’t melt as well (it has cellulose or similar in it to stop the shreds sticking together).
Assembling the noodles: Using your hands is the best strategy here; it lets you gently take a handful of noodles and lay them lengthwise into the casserole dish, pressing firmly to hold them in place.
Keep the layers together: The best way to avoid layers coming apart when serving is to allow the baked casserole to rest for at least 15 minutes before serving.
The best pasta: Pastitsio is traditionally used for this dish, but a short tubular pasta like ziti or penne can be a substitute. Keep in mind that it might require more assembly time to sort and lay the cooked pasta noodles in the same direction.
Greek Pastitsio Pasta Bake FAQs
It’s best served hot, but can also be enjoyed at room temperature if it’s part of a buffet spread.
Yes, assemble it and cover the casserole. Store in the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature for about 30 minutes before baking. If you bake directly from the refrigerator, add additional baking time.
They help the pasta bind together while cooking, as you want it sticky like that when assembling the pastitsio. Usually with pasta recipes you want the pasta shapes to separate not clump together, so this dish is a bit different!
Greek Pastitsio Recipe
Pastitsio
Equipment
- Pot Large
- Baking Dish 9 x 13-Inch
Ingredients
For the Meat Sauce:
- 2 Pounds ground beef, 90/10 or extra-lean
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 3 Cloves garlic, minced
- ½ Cup carrot, finely chopped
- 1 Cup red onion, finely chopped
- ¾ Cup red wine
- 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
- 28 Ounces crushed tomatoes
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cinnamon stick
- ½ Teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ Teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 Teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 Teaspoon black pepper
For the Bechamel Sauce:
- 4 Tablespoons butter
- 4 Tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 Cups whole milk
- 1/8 Teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ Cup pecorino romano cheese, shredded
- 2 egg yolks
- Salt and pepper, to taste
For the Pasta/Casserole:
- 8½ Ounces pastitsio pasta
- ¼ Cup pecorino romano cheese
- 1 whole egg
- 2 egg whites
- 2 Ounces feta cheese, crumbled
Optional Garnishes:
- fresh basil, chopped
- pecorino romano cheese
Instructions
Make the Meat Sauce:
- Add the ground beef to a large stock pot or Dutch oven over a medium-high heat.
- Cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, for 5 to 7 minutes or until no longer pink.
- Remove the meat mixture from the pot and drain excess grease. Set the cooked beef aside in a bowl.
- In the same pot, heat the oil over a medium-high heat and add the minced garlic, carrot and red onion.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 4 minutes or until the vegetables soften.
- Add the cooked beef and combine using a wooden spoon or spatula.
- Add the red wine and continue cooking over a medium heat for 3 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, ground cinnamon, ground clove, salt, and pepper.
- Reduce the heat to a simmer and continue cooking for 1 hour.
- Remove the bay leaf and cinnamon stick from the sauce.
- Reserve a cup (8 ounces) of sauce and set the rest aside.
Make the Bechamel Sauce:
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan on a low-medium heat, and mix in the flour to form a roux.
- Cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, stirring continuously.
- Slowly add in the milk, whisking constantly to avoid lumps from forming.
- Add the nutmeg.
- Continue to cook over a medium-low heat, stirring constantly for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Once the sauce thickens, add the pecorino romano cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Remove from heat and let cool for about 5 minutes, then whisk in the egg yolks and set aside.
Cook the Pasta:
- Cook the pasta in salted boiling water as directed for al dente.
- While the pasta is cooking, add the egg whites, whole egg and ¼ cup of shredded pecorino romano cheese to a small mixing bowl and whisk together. Set aside.
- Drain the pasta and let it cool for about 3 minutes.
- Return the noodles to the pot and gently fold in the egg-cheese mixture.
Assemble the Casserole:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a 9 x 13-inch baking dish, use your hands to arrange the pasta so the noodles face the same direction and level the top.
- Pour the meat sauce over the top and spread out until smooth (keep the reserved cup of sauce for serving). Pour the bechamel sauce over the meat sauce.
- Bake uncovered for 40 to 45 minutes or until the top is golden brown. If it’s already golden brown at the 30 minute mark, put a sheet of foil across the top for the remaining baking time so it doesn’t burn.
- Let the pastitsio cool for 15 to 20 minutes, then cut and serve with feta cheese and reserved sauce if liked, garnished with fresh chopped basil.
Notes
Shredded cheese: It’s best to make your own shredded or grated cheese because the pre-shredded kind doesn’t melt as well (it has cellulose or similar in it to stop the shreds sticking together).
Assembling the noodles: Using your hands is the best strategy here; it lets you gently take a handful of noodles and lay them lengthwise into the casserole dish, pressing firmly to hold them in place.
Keep the layers together: The best way to avoid layers coming apart when serving is to allow the baked casserole to rest for at least 15 minutes before serving.
The best pasta: Pastitsio is traditionally used for this dish, but a short tubular pasta like ziti or penne can be a substitute. Keep in mind that it might require more assembly time to sort and lay the cooked pasta noodles in the same direction.
Nutrition
This pastitsio Greek pasta bake is a hearty and robust dish that brimming with incredible flavors. There is a pasta layer topped with a rich pastitsio meat sauce. On top of that you have homemade béchamel sauce and the dish is served with feta cheese on top.
Other Recipes to Try
Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
Pastitsio was a crowd favorite; the flavors were amazing!