Pastitsio (Greek Lasagna)

Pastitsio (Greek Lasagna) is another experience of lasagna. It is classic pasta layers, rich ground beef ragu, thick cinnamon meat sauce, and creamy bechamel sauce. Let’s eat up!

Do you have one unforgettable embarrassing moment?

I have had several experiences like this, but there is one that until now I remember clearly.

At that time, I was still working at a company in Jakarta. I was in a division of about 10 people. Then, at the end of the year, we decided to travel to Bandung. If you visit this city, shopping at factory outlets is the main goal. T-shirts or branded clothes at affordable prices are an attraction for shopping lovers. We went to a popular factory outlet in Bandung. It is popular because of the good quality of the goods and affordable price.

This spacious boutique had an attractive layout and design. The style looked like the Greek empire. In front of the boutique, vendors were selling various foods on carts, such as fruit salad, dumplings, and beef satay. We could order the food or beverages there. Then, we could eat it at the table on the terrace of the factory outlet. The fresh atmosphere of Bandung supports getting the best delicious food. So, my friends and I tried to eat there before we went shopping.

The terrace of the factory outlet is close to the sidewalk next to it. It is about 50 cm from the sidewalk. Between the terrace and the road, there were edging plants. Because the conditions were quite crowded, there was only one empty table with 4 chairs. It was near the side corner of the terrace. The location of this table was quite dangerous because there were no fences around the terrace. The factory outlet owner didn’t put a fence around the terrace. We couldn’t have a choice because it was the only available table.

Sat enjoying the breeze while waiting for the beef satay to be delivered.

We sat enjoying the breeze while waiting for the beef satay to be delivered. Whether due to lack of focus or mental and physical exhaustion, suddenly the chair I was sitting in fell backward, flew over the border of the plant, and landed on the path next to it, of course with me sitting on it. The accident happened so fast that it was hard for my head to digest.

Suddenly, I found myself lying on the hard paving floor. Miss Nava screamed and immediately ran over. The people around screaming panicked. When I finally came to my senses, my face felt unbelievably hot with embarrassment. There were no wounds on my body. Yet, my body was sore. Shame welled up over me.

All day long, I became a source of jokes and funny stories from other colleagues. A trip that was supposed to be impressive became a super embarrassing incident that I still remember to this day.

Cooking Pastitsio to Divert Embarrassing Moment

Towards night, at the villa, my stomach feels very hungry. I could eat a horse!

Because I went to a factory outlet with a Greek-style building, I thought about making Greek food. Besides being delicious, maybe they would also be impressed. In the end, I hope they will praise me instead of making jokes about me.

I surfed the internet to find the kind of Greek food. Until I found an article with the title is Must Try Food When Travelling to Greece. There are many references from the article, including spanakopita, greek salad, souvlaki, moussaka, pastitsio, greek burrito, and seafood with ladholemono sauce.

My choice immediately went to pastitsio because the ingredients are not complicated. Moreover, the food looks tantalizing. I could get my friends to distract from that embarrassing accident with some impressive cooking.

It’s not too difficult for me to make this because I’ve also made similar pasta like Classic Lasagna with Bechamel Sauce and Bolognese Rigatoni Pasta Casserole.

After a few minutes, I finished it. I went to my friends who were busy gathering on the rooftop. They were surprised while I came out with tempting foods on my hands. After they ate the food, they praised me. They immediately asked what this food was. Then, I answered proudly, “This is Pastitsio. It’s from Greece.”

What is Pastitsio? I just heard it.

The basics are similar to a schotel with a different pasta. But, traditional pastitsio uses large tubular pasta like bucatini or penne instead of lasagna noodles. Bucatini is long, slender, and hollow noodles, something like a straw made of pasta. Because it same as lasagna, this dish uses stir-fried meat in tomato sauce and white bechamel sauce.

You can find this pastitsio dish in Greek, Cypriot, Egyptian, and Maltese cuisine. Although derived from Italian food called pasticcio, in its development, it became a typical Greek dish.

Therefore, I also want to share the recipe with you too. Who knows, you might also want to wow your friends with this unusual lasagna.

The Ingredients of
Pastitsio (Greek Lasagna)

Pasta

• Bucatini Pasta n. 2 – If you want to make traditional pastitsio, you should use bucatini number 2 or pastitsio pasta number 2. The shape is like a spaghetti tube pasta with a cavity. If you think it difficult to find in stores that have stock of European goods, don’t push it too much. You can use ziti or penne pasta. It will be a similar shape.
• Parmesan Cheese – I use it because it is easy to find. Actually, if you want it to taste more Greek, you can use kefalotyri cheese or kasseri cheese. The cheese is a cheese with the basic ingredients of sheep’s or goat’s milk. It tastes saltier, sharper, and more savory than parmesan. Alternatively, you can replace it with kefalograviera, romano, or pecorino cheese.
• White Eggs – add to the pasta to unite the pasta. It will make the pasta stick together.
• Salt – add when boiling the pasta and to add the saltiness.

Meat Sauce

• Ground Beef – you can use ground chicken or ground lamb meat.
• Garlic and Onion – adding flavorful taste and aroma.
• Canned Tomato and Tomato Paste – I use both of them. It is because the meat sauce should be thicker than bolognese sauce.
• Granulated Sugar – add sweetness.
• Bay Leaf – give the herb aroma.
• Cinnamon Powder – spice taste and aroma.
• Salt and Black Pepper – to taste the meat sauce.

Béchamel Sauce

• Flour, butter, and milk – all-white typical ingredients of white sauce.
• Egg Yolks – it will set the sauce. The sauce will be thicker.
• Nutmeg Powder – give more classical spice ingredients of bechamel sauce.
• Parmesan Cheese – give the creaminess and the cheesiness.
• Salt and Black Pepper – to taste.

How to Make
Pastitsio (Greek Lasagna)

Meat Sauce

In a pan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook onion and garlic until translucent.

Turn the heat to very high heat, then cook ground beef until the water evaporated.

Add remaining meat sauce ingredients. Stir then turn the heat down and simmer the sauce for about 1 hour or until liquid is mostly gone. Set aside.

Béchamel Sauce

In another pan, melt butter over medium heat.

After melted, add the flour and stir until mix well and thickens.

While stirring, pour small batches of the milk so there is no lump on the saucepan. Once blended, add the remaining milk in increments, mixing well after each addition, until all the milk is used and sauce is free from lumps.

Once the sauce is free from lumps, add in and mix egg yolks, parmesan cheese, nutmeg powder, salt, and pepper. Set aside

Pasta

Boil water over medium-high heat. Cook bucatini pasta with salt according to its package.

Drain the pasta then add in and mix the pasta with parmesan cheese and egg whites.

Pastitsio

Preheat oven to 200°C.

To assemble, add a layer of bucatini pasta then topped it with meat sauce and topped it with béchamel sauce to a 7.5×9.5×2-inch glass rectangular dinnerware.

Sprinkle the pastitsio with parmesan cheese. Bake for 45 minutes or until the béchamel sauce and parmesan cheese brownish.

Before serving, cool down the pastitsio for a while in a room temperature so it will not mess the pasta when you cut the pastitsio.

Enjoy!

Recipe Notes :

• Meat sauce is better to chill before coating the pasta. The thickness will make it stick better.
• Coat the pasta layers evenly and smoothly so the sauce doesn’t seep into the other layers.
• Unlike lasagna, pastitsio is served after you cut it into squares. That gives you at least 8-10 minutes to serve once it’s out of the oven.
• Enter the flour and butter first during the whisking stage of making the bechamel sauce. Then, add the milk little by little while you stir. It makes the sauce less lumpy and smooth.
• If you don’t really like the spice mix, you can try it first by mixing it in warm water. But, I think this recipe can be an option for spice lovers or not.
• If you want to make traditional pastitsio, you should use bucatini number 2 or pastitsio pasta number 2. The shape is like a spaghetti tube pasta with a cavity. If you think it is difficult to find in stores that have stock of European goods, don’t push it too much. You can use ziti or penne pasta. It will be a similar shape.
• If you want it to taste more Greek, you can use kefalotyri cheese or kasseri cheese. The cheese is a cheese with the basic ingredients of sheep’s or goat’s milk. It tastes saltier, sharper, and more savory than parmesan. Alternatively, you can replace it with parmesan kefalograviera, romano, or pecorino cheese.
• Although I used ground beef, you can try other ground meats like chicken, turkey, or lamb.
• This recipe is rich in tomatoes. I use canned tomatoes and tomato puree because they have a different texture and taste. Especially in Indonesia, the taste of tomatoes is different. So I don’t recommend using fresh tomatoes.
• Do not make each layer loose or perforated. That will make it a mess because it doesn’t stick together later.

Can this Greek Pastitsio recipe be made in advance?

Indeed, it took quite a while to make this pastitsio. You can prepare some of the components first separately. The components of this recipe consist of three basic components, namely pasta, meat sauce, and bechamel sauce. You can refrigerate them separately or when they have become one food. If you make them separately, you assemble the components the night before and put them in the refrigerator. Don’t forget to cover the container. The next day, you can put it straight into the oven.

What about the rest of the pastitsio? Should I freeze it?

If we talk about pastitsio, it doesn’t seem right if it doesn’t run out. But if you make leftovers, you can store them for 12 hours at room temperature. Meanwhile, if you refrigerate it, it lasts up to 2 weeks. If you freeze it, you can keep it for 2 months. Don’t forget to wrap it with a tight lid or aluminum foil.

If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback!

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MORE PASTA MENU YOU’LL ENJOY :

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• CHICKEN ALFREDO FUSILLI PASTA
• TOMATO SHRIMP SPAGHETTI PASTA