Greek Pastit*io recipe (Greek Lasagna with Béchamel) (2024)

My very best Greek Pastit*io recipe (Pastichio)! This is my authentic “Greek Lasagna” recipe for you to make this traditional delight just like my grandma used to make it! So go ahead, read on to discover all my tips and tricks, my video showing you how to make it and of course the recipe!

What is Greek Pastit*io / Pastichio?

The simplest way to describe what is Pastit*io is a Greek version of Lasagna! Thetraditional pastit*io / Pasticcio recipe has a deep layer of tubular pasta, a delicious, aromatic beef ragu and is topped off with athick and velvety béchamel sauce.

This is the ultimate Greek comfort food, along with the legendarytraditional Greek Moussaka of course!

How to make traditional Greek Pastit*io?

Greek Pastit*io recipe – Prepare the pasta

The authentic Greek Pastit*io recipe is made with bucatini pasta, a thick pasta like spaghetti with a hole running through the center. This pasta is what is used to make Pastit*io in almost every Greek household or restaurant.

However sourcing bucatini pasta abroad can be a bit tricky, so a more convenient alternative that you can readily find at your local supermarket is penne pasta and ziti.

There are two little tips that make all the difference when preparing the pastit*io pasta. Firstly, boil the pasta for the pastit*io 2-3 minutes less than the package instructions.Your pasta will also cook when the dish is baked in the oven, so if you cook them fully on their own they will turn out mushy!

Secondly mix the boiled pasta with crumbled feta cheese and a the whites from two eggs. The feta cheese will give your pasta a delicious tang while the egg whites will help the pasta stay together when your pastit*io is cut!

Greek Pastit*io recipe – Prepare the meat sauce

Greek pastit*io (pastichio/pasticcio/Pastizio) owes its distinctive and rich flavour to the two aromatic spices used in the meat sauce. These are nothing else thancinnamonandclove!Once put in the oven, the intense aromas of those spices bring back so many childhood memories!

To prepare the pastit*io meat sauce start by heating up a large pan on medium/high heat, add the olive oil, the chopped onions and sauté until the onions are translucent. Add the beef, tomato paste, garlic and break it up to small chunks using a wooden spoon.

Let it simmer until its nicely browned and cooked through. Then proceed to deglaze the pan with the wine, add the tomatoes and spices and season with some salt and pepper. Let it simmer for a while until the sauce has reduced and has barely any liquid left in it. Finally taste it and add some more salt & pepper to taste if needed!

Greek Pastit*io recipe – Prepare the Béchamel sauce

The perfect béchamel sauce for your pastit*io should be smooth, thick and creamy. To achieve the perfect texture the key is to add the lukewarm milk a little bit at a time whilst constantly stirring with a whisk. Whisk the sauce constantly, allow the flour to absorb the milk and add some more until the milk is used up. That way your sauce will turn out incredibly smooth and creamy!

Secondly be careful to set your stove to medium to low heatso that your bechamel sauce doesn’t burn and doesn’t stick on the bottom of the pan!

Finally, once you add the grated cheese to your béchamel it will thicken up a little bit. So keep that in mind to achieve the right texture. At that point give your bechamel a taste and add some salt. It will lift the flavour and make your bechamel taste simply divine!

Can this Greek Pastit*io recipe be made in advance?

Making Greek Pastit*io can be a bit time consuming, so sometimes you will need to prepare it in advance.If you like to prepare pastit*io in advance, you can prepare all its components above and assemble it the previous night. Let it cool down completely, cover it with some cling film and put it in the fridge. The next day put it straight in the oven and bake it! Just remember to let it cool down before cutting it up.

Alternatively you can prepare the whole pastit*io and bake the day before, let it cool down, wrap in cling film and store in the fridge. When its time to serve, pop it in the oven for 20 minutes at 150C/300F to reheat it, cut it up and serve immediately.

Can you freeze baked Pastit*io / Pasticcio?

This pastit*io recipe can also be cooked in advance and frozen in individual portions. Truth is that sometimes you will end up with leftovers, as this recipe makes for a generous baking tray! Let your pastit*io cool down completely, cut it up in pieces and place it in sealed plastic containers and then in the freezer.

To serve it, thaw in the fridge the night before, heat your oven to 150C/300F and warm it up for 20-30 minutes until warm throughout. It will taste as good as fresh!

What goes well with it?

I love serving my pastit*io with a refreshing Greek feta salad, or aGreek Orzo Salad (Orzo feta salad) and some greek country style crusty bread. You don’t need anything else as this dish is pure perfection on its own!

If you love Pastit*io as much as I do then you have to give these amazing recipes a try!

1. Traditional Greek Moussaka!
2. Stuffed eggplants (Papoutsakia) also known as individual moussaka!
3. Vegetarian moussaka

So go ahead, give this traditional Pastit*io recipe a try and amaze your friends and family with this extra tasty hearty dish!

Print