Pastitsio

Pastitsio is a greek lasagna. The flavors are incredible! Seasonal flavors of cinnamon and nutmeg. A hearty meat sauce and white cream sauce mixed and baked with pasta!

Im posting this pastitsio recipe just in time for those delicious, fall dinners that warm and comfort your soul! The flavors of this dish scream fall! Hints of cinnamon and nutmeg all through out.

I just discovered pastitsio when I was looking through Ina Gartens dinner recipes. She is the queen of recipes. I absolutely love her cooking. She works with some many flavorful ingredients.

What exactly is pastitsio?

It’s a greek lasagna basically. Its a baked pasta dish with ground meat and béchamel sauce, which is a fancy French word for white cream sauce! And it is SO GOOD!

Béchamel is a mixture of a white roux (flour + butter) and milk! Super easy to make, and delicious!

Ok, I want to talk about the meat sauce, because that was the most flavorful part of this recipe.

When fall time comes, I usually bake with cinnamon and nutmeg. You know, the seasonal flavors of fall. But I never really think to cook with those spices.

This meat sauce is one for the books. That’s for sure. It is hearty, savory, and has hints of cinnamon and nutmeg that make you want to dance for joy!

My mouth is literally watering as I upload these photos. Probably one of the best pasta dishes I’ve had in a while.

Its a great recipe to make for a large crowd as well. Maybe your having a dinner party or a large family/friend dinner. This would be perfect to make. You can make it a few hours ahead of time, bake it and reheat it when needed!

If you make this recipe, I hope you enjoy it!

Make sure to check another recipe of mine out for roasted tomato caprese grilled cheese! https://thehungrylyoness.com/2020/09/28/roasted-tomato-caprese-grilled-cheese/

Pastitsio

Pastitsio is a greek lasagna. The flavors are incredible! Seasonal flavors of cinnamon and nutmeg. A hearty meat sauce and white cream sauce mixed and baked with pasta!

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Prep Time 40 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 40 minutes mins

Course Dinner

Ingredients

  

For The Meat Sauce

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 1½ lbs. ground beef, lean
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 3 large cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1 pinch of cayenne pepper
• 28 oz. can of san marzano tomatoes
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper

For The Béchamel (cream sauce)

• 2½ cups cream or milk I used hald and half
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1½ cups grated parmesan, divided
• 2/3 cups plain greek yogurt
• 4 cups ziti noodles

Instructions

 

For The Meat Sauce

• In a large pot, add olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes, until soft. Add ground beef and continue to cook for another 10 minutes. Until no longer pink.
• Drain any fat/liquid from pan and add wine. Cook for 2-3 minutes until almost all wine has absorbed.
• Add garlic, cinnamon, oregano, thyme and cayenne. Allow to cook for 5 minutes.
• Add tomatoes, salt and pepper. Crush tomatoes with spoon if needed. Simmer for 40 minutes. Stirring occasionally.
  

For The Béchamel (cream sauce)

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour using a wooden spoon until smooth and allow to cook for 2 minutes.
• Add milk and whisk to mix. Bring to a boil and whisk constantly until sauce thickens. Turn heat down to a simmer and whisk until the sauce thickens more, about 6-7 minutes.
• Add nutmeg, salt and pepper. Stir in 3/4 cup of parmesan cheese. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
  
• Stir in greek yogurt and set aside.
• Cook pasta according to package direction, until al dente. Drain and dump pasta in meat sauce. Mix together.
  
• Pour pasta in a 9×13 baking dish. Spread cream sauce evenly on top of pasta, followed by remaining parmesan cheese.
  
• Bake in oven for 45-60 minutes, until golden brown and bubbly.
  
• Enjoy!

Notes

Recipe inspiration from Ina Garten https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/pastitsio-recipe-1949975

Keyword dinner, lasagna, pasta, pasta bake