Easy Greek Pastit*io Recipe (2024)

How long does this keep?

This dish keeps pretty well if store properly. Store the leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.

Can I make this recipe vegetarian?

The traditional version is made with a combination of beef and lamb. If you would like to make vegetarian pastit*io, follow the instructions to make the meat sauce but use cooked lentils or fried eggplant instead of beef and lamb.

Can you make this ahead of time?

Absolutely! What I love the most about this recipe is that you can make and assemble it ahead of time and simply bake it when you're ready. Cook the pasta, the bechamel sauce and the meat sauce. Assemble the dish as instructed but don't bake it. Cover it with a plastic wrap tightly and refrigerate for up to two days.
When you're ready to bake, heat the oven to 350ºF and bake it for about 45 minutes to one hour until set and the top is golden.

Can you freeze this dish?

Yes, pastit*io freezes beautifully. Let the dish cool completely, then cover it tightly with aluminum foil and freeze for up to two months.
To reheat, thaw the dish in the fridge overnight. Preheat the oven to 300ºF and heat the dish in the oven for about 30 minutes or until it's completely heated through.

Bechamel Sauce

• ▢ ½ stick butter cut into pieces
• ▢ 5 tablespoon all purpose flour
• ▢ 3 cups milk
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ ½ tsp black pepper
• ▢ ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
• ▢ 2 eggs

Meat sauce

• ▢ 2 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ 1 red onion chopped
• ▢ 5 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 2 tablespoon tomato paste
• ▢ 1 lb ground beef
• ▢ ½ lb ground lamb
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ▢ ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ▢ ½ tablespoon salt
• ▢ ¼ tsp black pepper
• ▢ ½ cup water
• ▢ 1 can diced tomatoes 15 oz.
• ▢ 2 bay leaves

Pasta

• ▢ 1 lb penne pasta or pastit*io pasta No.2
• ▢ 3 tbsp olive oil
• ▢ 2 eggs
• ▢ ¾ cup grated parmesan cheese
• ▢ ½ cup parsley

Bechamel sauce

• Melt the butter in a sauce pan over medium heat.

• Add in the flour and whisk well. Cook until it doesn't smell raw.

• Slowly pour in the milk, stirring constantly to make sure no lumps form.

• lower the heat and add the salt and pepper.

• Keep stirring and cooking until the sauce thickens.

• Turn the heat off, stir the parmesan into the sauce.

• Add in the eggs one by one and stir very well after each addition. Set the bechamel sauce aside.

Meat sauce

• Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.

• Saute onion and garlic until soft and translucent.

• Add in the tomato sauce and mix it with the onion and garlic.

• Add in the ground beef and ground lamb. Brown them in the pan and break them as you cook them.

• Add in oregano, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Stir well and cook for a minute.

• Add in the water, canned tomatoes and add the bay leaves. Keep the heat on medium and cook the meat sauce for about 30 minutes or until the water is almost evaporated.

• Taste the sauce to make sure it has enough salt, add more if needed.

• Remove the bay leaves and set the sauce aside.

Pasta

• Cook the penne according to the packaging and drain.

• Once the pasta is cool enough to handle, place it in a bowl and mix it with olive oil, eggs, parmesan and parsley to it.

Assemble:

• Preheat the oven to 350F and coat a 9X13 baking pan with non stick spray.

• Transfer the pasta to the baking pan. Top it with all the meat sauce and make sure to spread evenly.

• Top the meat sauce with the bechamel sauce and sprinkle some parmesan cheese if desired.

• Bake in the oven for 45 minutes or until it's all set and the top is golden brown.

• To cut, let the pastit*io cool for 10 minutes, then using a large, sharp knife, slice the baked pasta into squares.

• Forvegetarian pastit*io use cooked lentils or fried eggplant instead of meat.
• Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat using a microwave or the oven.
• This Greek pasta bake recipe is made with a combination of ground lamb and ground beef. However, you can use all lamb or all beef.
• You can make the meat sauce and the bechamel ahead of time and store them in separate containers. When ready to bake, prepare the pasta following the instructions and assemble the dish.
• It's best to use lean meat when making the meat sauce for this Greek baked pasta recipe. If using meat that has fat content higher than 7%, please discard the excess fat so the final dish is not too greasy.
• If you're not a fan of penne and pastit*io pasta is not available, try using bucatini pasta for this recipe.
• Instead of cinnamon, you can use a 2 inch cinnamon stick in the sauce but make sure you remove it before adding the meat sauce to the dish.