A friend introduced Pastitsio to me a couple of years ago and I was instantly smitten. Deep, rich and hearty, this baked pasta dish has roots in Greece and the Middle East. It is perfect for special occasions or entertaining where you can share, and not be temped to devour the entire thing because believe me, you will want to. The last time I made this I immediately packaged up ⅔ of it to give to friends. You could also freeze half to save for later.
Ground lamb (or beef) is cooked with onion, garlic and spices then simmered with tomato sauce and infused with cinnamon until it becomes a deep, rich, Greek-style “bolognese” – the flavorful base of the dish. Add cooked penne to the meaty hearty sauce, and top it with a nutmeg infused béchamel, before going into the oven to bake. When it comes out, it’s bubbly and golden.
If you are a fan of the Rustic Eggplant Moussaka here on the blog, you will love this. It’s simpler but has the same authentic flavors.
Also, if you liking my new favorite 12 inch skillet as much as I am, be sure to check out Smithey Ironware– a great little company out of Charleston. I love cooking in this skillet and the design is beautiful!
I prefer to use sustainably raised, locally grown, American lamb, which is raised closer to home compared to imported lamb that travels from great distances to get here. For one, it’s fresher but more importantly, it supports our local community. It’s produced in nearly every state and is available fresh year round, just check your local farmers market. In years past we’ve bought ½ or ¼ of a lamb locally and kept it frozen, which is always an option too.
American lamb is always raised hormone-free and producers go to great lengths to give their animals healthy, comfortable lives, letting them graze and forage on a variety of nutrient-dense grasses and legumes – producing succulent, sweet and tender meat.
Pastitsio | Baked Greek Pasta with Lamb
A delicious Greek inspired, baked pasta dish made with penne pasta, lamb bolognese and a béchamel sauce.
- Prep Time: 45
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 10
- Category: Main
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, more to taste
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
Bechamel:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil or butter
- 2 ½ cups whole milk
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- ½ cup plain greek yogurt
- 2 extra large eggs, beaten
parmesan for sprinkling
Garnish : 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
Instructions
Start the lamb bolognese: heat oil in a large heavy bottom pot or dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the onion, ground meat and salt, breaking up the meat with a metal spatula. Cook 10-12 minutes, stirring often until onions are tender and meat is browned. Drain any fat. Splash with the red wine and cook until evaporated, about 2 minutes, then add garlic and cinnamon, cumin, oregano and pepper. Sauté for 2 minutes until garlic is fragrant. Stir in crushed tomatoes and tomato paste and simmer on low heat, covered, for 20 minutes. Taste, add more salt if you like.
Preheat oven to 400 F
While this is simmering, boil the pasta water and make the béchamel sauce. Heat the oil in a medium pot, over medium heat. Whisk the flour into the oil into a smooth paste and cook for 60 seconds. Whisk in 1 cup milk until smooth and thickened, then immediately, add the remaining 1 1/2 cups milk and whisk until smooth and thickened again. Add salt, nutmeg, white pepper and parmesan, and stir until cheese melts and sauce is smooth. Set aside and let cool for 10 minutes.
Cook the pasta and drain.
Once the béchamel has cooled 10 minutes ( warm is ok, just not hot), stir int the yogurt and beaten egg.
Add the cooked pasta to the Bolognese sauce and mix. Pour into a large greased baking dish (9×13) or 12 inch oven proof skillet. Top with the béchamel sauce covering it evenly. Sprinkle with ½ cup more parmesan and scatter with fresh thyme leaves. Bake 30 minutes or until golden and bubbly.
Enjoy!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.5 cups
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33
Just made this. It’s delicious but holy sodium! I used about 2/3 the salt that the recipe calls for and it is still plenty seasoned. I would probably use 1/2 the salt next time.
Just made this ! I was hungry and didn’t want to go out for lunch, I saw this, it looked yummy and it came together quickly. It was delicious! I too cut down on the salt. Just used it in the sauce. This was awesome!
★★★★★
Absolutely superb. It was just my wife and I so I cut the recipe in half and baked it in a 8 inch skillet. Quite delicious. Just writing this comment makes me want to go to the refrigerator and heat up the leftovers for lunch.
★★★★★
Thanks Terry! Appreciate the comment an glad you enjoyed. Hope you are having a beautiful winter over there on the east side!
Hi Sylvia,
I really liked this dish so I had to make it again. I decided to go for a more Asian/Indian styled flavor. I swapped out the olive oil for ghee. I used Chinese 5 spice and fenugreek instead of cinnamon and oregano. For the béchamel sauce I warmed the milk and put 4 whole star anise and some orange peel with the pith removed in it. I let it infuse for about 20 minutes. I also held the nutmeg. It came out delicious. I like prowling through your recipes and then go play in the kitchen. I have a lot of fun. It has been cold here in Maine. Gives me a good excuse to stay indoors and cook.
It’s the perfect time of year for these hearty dishes. All we really want is comfort food! Looking forward to trying it.
★★★★★
Yes, so true! Thanks Nick.
I am making this recipe now…it looks and smells like it’s going to be delicious. I noticed in the directions for the Bechemal sauce, you said to add “white pepper,” but the amount and the white pepper is not listed in the ingredients. I also noted that the ingredients listed “1 TBSP tomato paste,” but the directions don’t include when or where to add it. Thank you for what otherwise looks like a great recipe.
Thanks just fixed it!
I am making this recipe now…it looks and smells like it’s going to be delicious. I noticed in the directions for the Bechemal sauce, you said to add “white pepper,” but the amount and the white pepper is not listed in the ingredients. I also noted that the ingredients listed “1 TBSP tomato paste,” but the directions don’t include when or where to add it. Thank you for what looks like a great recipe.
★★★★
This was awesome! I had seen other recipes for this dish but was always hesitant to make because the cinnamon had me concerned. The cinnamon is absolutely needed for the flavor profile…do not be afraid people👍🏻👍🏻 I halved the recipe and it came out perfect. Adding to my rotation, thanks for the great recipe!
★★★★★
Awesome Kelly. Yes… the Cinnamon and Nutmeg both totally make it.
Thank you for this delicious Greek recipe! Tastes just like the Pastitsio that I enjoyed some years ago 💕
Lovely recipe and made enough for 6 man sized servings. It has been added to our family cook book
★★★★★