Greek Pastitsio (Baked Pasta with Meat Sauce and Béchamel)
Greece's tall pasta bake: tube pasta and a cinnamon and clove-scented beef and tomato sauce in layers under a thick, cheese-enriched béchamel that bakes into a golden, custardy cap.
Edited by JP Lambiase
Change the estimate
Swaps change the price only: cook any meat to its own safe temperature. Where these numbers come from
Pastitsio is baked pasta with ground meat and béchamel sauce (Wikipedia:). Its name comes from the Venetian *pasticcio*, a family of baked pies of meat, fish or pasta recorded from the early 1500s; Italian versions had a pastry crust, and some had béchamel. Wikipedia credits the béchamel-topped Greek version, now everywhere, to Nikolaos Tselementes, a French-trained Greek chef of the early 20th century.
Tselementes is the American link. Wikipedia's article on him says he was born on the island of Sifnos in 1878, studied cooking in Vienna, started the magazine *Odigos Mageirikis* (Cooking Guide) in 1910, and in 1920 left for America, where he worked in well-known restaurants, including the St. Moritz Hotel in New York, and studied cooking, pastry and dietetics. Wikipedia says his cookbook, first published in 1930, and the cooking school he opened after he returned to Greece in 1932 taught Greek home cooks béchamel, and that he created the modern versions of moussaka and pastitsio; in Greece his name now means "cookbook". So the béchamel cap on Greece's best-known pasta bake was written down by a chef just back from New York, while the Midwest was stirring its own beef-and-pasta bakes, like our Johnny Marzetti recipe, under cheddar.
🇬🇷 The original
Greece's tall pasta bake: tube pasta and a cinnamon and clove-scented beef and tomato sauce in layers under a thick, cheese-enriched béchamel that bakes into a golden, custardy cap.
🇺🇸 The American version
Ohio stirs pasta, beef, tomatoes and cheddar together and bakes it under more cheese, no béchamel layer. See the Johnny Marzetti (Ohio Beef and Cheddar Pasta Bake) recipe.
Why it works the kitchen science
Yolks and fresh cheese in the béchamel
They turn a plain white sauce into a custard that puffs in the oven and sets firm, so it sits on the pasta as a sliceable cap.
Rinsed, cheese-coated pasta
Rinsing stops the cooking and washes off loose starch, and the oil and cheese keep the tubes separate, so the bottom layer holds its shape under the meat.
🧰 You'll need 9 items
Everything the steps call for. Tick off what you have before you start.
Appliances
Pans and pots
Tools
Step by step
- Step 1
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and cook the onions 5 to 7 minutes, until translucent. Add the beef and cook 7 to 8 minutes, breaking it up, until browned. Add the garlic, tomatoes, cinnamon stick, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, salt and pepper. Cover, lower the heat and simmer 35 minutes, stirring now and then, until thick. Fish out the cinnamon stick and cloves.
- Step 2
While the sauce simmers, boil the pasta in salted water 2 minutes less than the package says. Drain, rinse under cold water, drain again and toss with the 1 tbsp oil and half the Romano.
- Step 3
Heat the oven to 350°F and oil a deep 9x13-inch baking dish (at least 2 1/2 inches deep); set it on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Step 4
Make the béchamel: melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, whisk in the flour and cook 2 minutes. Whisk in the warm milk a little at a time and cook 8 to 10 minutes, whisking, until thick enough to coat a spoon. Off the heat, add the salt and nutmeg and cool 5 minutes, then whisk in the yolks, the ricotta and half the remaining Romano.
- Step 5
Toss half the pasta with 1/2 cup of the béchamel and spread it in the dish. Spread the meat sauce over it and sprinkle with 1 tbsp of the Romano. Add the rest of the pasta, pour the béchamel over to cover it completely and scatter on the last of the cheese.
- Step 6
Bake about 45 minutes, until the top is puffed and deep golden and the center reads 165°F.
- Step 7
Rest at least 20 minutes before cutting, so the layers set into clean squares.
Greek Pastitsio (Baked Pasta with Meat Sauce and Béchamel)
Serves 10 · one deep 9x13-inch pan · 2 hr 30 min total
Meat sauce
- 2 tbsp (27 g) olive oil
- 2 medium onions (300 g), finely chopped
- 1 1/2 lb (680 g) ground beef, 85% lean
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- One 28-oz (794 g) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- Pinch of ground allspice
- 2 whole cloves
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Pasta
- 1 lb (454 g) bucatini, ziti or Greek No. 2 tube pasta
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 oz (85 g) Pecorino Romano, finely grated (about 3/4 cup), divided
Béchamel
- 6 tbsp (84 g) butter
- 1/2 cup (62 g) all-purpose flour
- 4 cups (976 g) whole milk, warmed
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- Pinch of ground nutmeg
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 cup (246 g) whole-milk ricotta
Equipment: Oven, 9x13-inch baking dish, Rimmed baking sheet, Saucepan, Large skillet, Instant-read thermometer, Chef's knife and cutting board, Measuring cups and spoons, Whisk
Method
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and cook the onions 5 to 7 minutes, until translucent. Add the beef and cook 7 to 8 minutes, breaking it up, until browned. Add the garlic, tomatoes, cinnamon stick, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, salt and pepper. Cover, lower the heat and simmer 35 minutes, stirring now and then, until thick. Fish out the cinnamon stick and cloves.
- While the sauce simmers, boil the pasta in salted water 2 minutes less than the package says. Drain, rinse under cold water, drain again and toss with the 1 tbsp oil and half the Romano.
- Heat the oven to 350°F and oil a deep 9x13-inch baking dish (at least 2 1/2 inches deep); set it on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Make the béchamel: melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, whisk in the flour and cook 2 minutes. Whisk in the warm milk a little at a time and cook 8 to 10 minutes, whisking, until thick enough to coat a spoon. Off the heat, add the salt and nutmeg and cool 5 minutes, then whisk in the yolks, the ricotta and half the remaining Romano.
- Toss half the pasta with 1/2 cup of the béchamel and spread it in the dish. Spread the meat sauce over it and sprinkle with 1 tbsp of the Romano. Add the rest of the pasta, pour the béchamel over to cover it completely and scatter on the last of the cheese.
- Bake about 45 minutes, until the top is puffed and deep golden and the center reads 165°F.
- Rest at least 20 minutes before cutting, so the layers set into clean squares.
Adapted from Diane Kochilas, "Pastitsio", serves 8. We follow her method: onions softened in olive oil, ground beef browned, garlic, tomatoes, a cinnamon stick, nutmeg, allspice, whole cloves and pepper simmered covered 35 to 40 minutes and the whole spices removed; tube pasta boiled al dente, rinsed and tossed with oil and half the cheese; a béchamel finished with egg yolks, fresh cheese and more grated cheese; two layers of pasta around the meat; 350°F for about 45 minutes. Her recipe calls for "4 cups béchamel" without a recipe on the page, so the béchamel amounts here are ours. Our changes for budget and a 9x13: 1 lb pasta instead of 1 1/2 lb, a 28-oz can of crushed tomatoes for her 3 cups of fresh tomato concasse, ricotta for anthotyro and Pecorino Romano for kefalotyri (3 oz instead of 4). The 165°F check is ours. Estimated cost: about $22.54 for the pan, about $2.25 a serving. dianekochilas.com. Ingredient list follows the source; the method is in our own words.
All sources (3)
Tips
- Make ahead: make the meat sauce up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate (3 to 4 days is the FSIS limit for cooked meat). Or assemble the whole pan, cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours (house rule) and bake 60 to 70 minutes, to 165°F. It freezes well baked or unbaked for up to 3 months (Kentucky and Penn State Extension).
- Leftovers keep 3 to 4 days refrigerated and reheat well to 165°F, covered, at 350°F.
- Parmesan works in place of Romano; use a little more salt.
- Use a deep dish on a sheet pan: the béchamel puffs and can spill over a shallow pan.
The rules people argue about
What the sources agree on, what they don't, and what is just a good story.
- Tselementes invented béchamel pastitsio. Disputed: Wikipedia credits him with creating the béchamel version and the modern pastitsio, but its own Pastitsio article says some Italian pasticcio recipes already included béchamel.
- Pastitsio comes from the Ionian Islands. Disputed: Wikipedia says so, but the line is flagged "citation needed"; the Venetian name fits the islands' Venetian past, and nothing more.
- The name comes from Venetian *pasticcio*. Documented (Wikipedia, citing Italian dictionaries and Bartolomeo Scappi's 1570 *Opera*).
- Tselementes cooked in New York. Documented (Wikipedia: he left for America in 1920 and lists the St. Moritz Hotel, New York, among his restaurants).
- You must use Greek No. 2 tube pasta. Folklore: Kochilas calls for "thick tube spaghetti"; bucatini or ziti bake the same way.
Every other casserole
Minnesota Tot Hotdish (Ground Beef, Green Beans and Potato Tots)
The Upper Midwest church-supper classic: browned ground beef and green beans folded into a from-scratch creamy sauce, covered edge to edge with frozen potato tots and baked hot until they crisp.
Tuna Noodle Casserole (From Scratch)
The canned-soup-era weeknight bake rebuilt from the pantry: egg noodles, canned tuna and peas in a quick mushroom and onion cream sauce, under a buttery crumb top.
Johnny Marzetti (Ohio Beef and Cheddar Pasta Bake)
Columbus, Ohio's signature casserole: corkscrew pasta, ground beef, mushrooms and hand-crushed tomatoes stirred with sharp cheddar and baked under more cheddar until browned and bubbling.
Chicken Divan (Chicken and Broccoli in Cheese Sauce)
A New York hotel restaurant's secret dish turned into a family casserole: poached chicken and broccoli under a cheddar and Parmesan cheese sauce made with the poaching broth, baked golden and served over rice.
Utah Funeral Potatoes (Cheesy Potato Casserole with Corn Flake Crust)
The Utah potluck and after-funeral classic: shredded potatoes in a creamy sour cream and cheddar sauce under a buttery corn flake crust, enough for a crowd of twelve.
British Shepherd's Pie (Lamb, with a Cottage Pie Option)
Britain's potato-roofed pie: ground lamb, onion and carrot simmered in beef broth with tomato paste and Worcestershire, topped with buttery mash raked with a fork and baked until the ridges brown.
Pâté Chinois (Quebec Beef, Corn and Potato Pie)
Quebec's three-layer supper pie, "steak, blé d'Inde, patates": seasoned ground beef, a stripe of kernel corn and cream-style corn, then buttery mashed potatoes dusted with paprika and baked golden.
Finnish Makaronilaatikko (Macaroni and Beef Custard Bake)
Finland's everyday macaroni casserole: elbows and browned ground beef baked in a milk and egg custard under Swiss cheese until set and golden, served the Finnish way with ketchup or lingonberries.
Swedish Flying Jacob (Chicken, Banana and Peanut Casserole)
Sweden's famous 1976 party casserole: chicken and bananas baked under whipped cream mixed with ketchup-style chili sauce, then showered with crisp bacon and salted peanuts and served over rice.
Puerto Rican Pastelón (Sweet Plantain and Picadillo Bake)
Puerto Rico's "big cake": strips of very ripe plantain, oven-roasted until caramelized, layered like lasagna noodles with a beef picadillo of olives, capers and tomato, bound with beaten egg and melted mozzarella.
Valencian Arroz al Horno (Oven-Baked Rice with Pork, Chickpeas and Potatoes)
Valencia's Sunday-leftover rice: pork ribs, bacon, chorizo, chickpeas and potato slices browned, then baked with short rice and hot broth around a whole head of garlic and halved tomatoes until the top turns crisp.
Meatballs of the World
Italian-American Meatballs
Big, tender meatballs braised for an hour in red sauce over spaghetti. The one most Americans grew up with.
Pallottine (Abruzzo Meatballs)
Tiny meatballs, smaller than a marble, tossed right through square spaghetti alla chitarra. No bread at all.
Swedish Meatballs (Köttbullar)
Small, soft meatballs browned in butter, in a cream sauce made from the same pan, with lingonberry jam on the plate.
Danish Frikadeller
Pork meatballs shaped with a spoon and fried slowly in butter, crusty outside and soft in the middle.
Königsberger Klopse
German meatballs that are never fried: poached, then served in a creamy white sauce with capers.
Spanish Albóndigas in Almond Saffron Sauce
The tapas bar classic: small meatballs in a golden sauce thickened with fried almonds and bread.
Mexican Albóndigas with Chipotle and Mint
Soft meatballs with rice and fresh mint inside, simmered in a smoky tomato and chipotle broth.
Izgara Köfte (Turkish Grilled Meatballs)
Small, flat meatballs kneaded hard, rested cold, and charred on a hot grill pan.
Lion's Head Meatballs
Big, soft pork meatballs, stirred into a sticky paste, fried to set, then braised in a savory sauce.
Chicken Tsukune
Japan's chicken meatball: kneaded sticky, grilled on skewers, glazed with sweet soy tare, dipped in egg yolk.