The Excellent Greek Pastitsio (Greek Beef Lasagna Recipe)

This Pastitsio recipe will provide you with essentially the most scrumptious Greek lasagna you’ve ever had, with lovely layers of pasta, a basic cinnamon-infused meat sauce, and creamy bechamel for a comforting and healthful dinner meal! That is the proper recipe for a day forward and is extremely straightforward to whip collectively.

Pastitsio is among the most scrumptious Greek dishes! This casserole dish is a Greek pasta bake that includes the tastiest meat sauce and a wealthy white sauce that work fantastically collectively.

Curiously, the phrase Pastitsio means hodgepodge, and this dish is a real and scrumptious hodgepodge of every little thing we love about lasagna and pasta dishes! Have this Greek dish together with the tasty Greek donuts (Loukoumades) for a festive meal!

🥘 INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED

This dish requires easy components that I’m certain you have got stacked in your pantry already!

You may scroll all the way down to the recipe card for additional particulars and directions.

Meat: We’ll use some lean floor beef on this recipe for the perfect outcomes and ideal taste.

Cinnamon and cloves: These two components make Pastitsio’s meat sauce what it’s alleged to be.

Pasta: Ideally, you wish to go for some bucatini pasta which appears similar to common spaghetti, however the hole heart soaks up the sauce! If that’s difficult to return throughout, then penne, spaghetti, or ziti will work superb and nonetheless provide the tastiest lasagna dish you’ve ever had!

Tomato paste: To get that wealthy taste in our meat sauce, we’ll add some tomato paste. It’s not the identical as tomato puree since tomato paste is way more concentrated.

🔪 HOW TO MAKE

Don’t let this dish’s elegant and basic appears idiot you into considering it’s difficult to make! It’s one of many best recipes ever!

The complete directions are within the recipe card beneath, however let us take a look at the principle steps to creating this deal with.

Step 1:

Let’s begin by cooking our meat first after which the meat sauce. In a big pan or skillet, add the bottom beef and cook dinner it till the liquid evaporates and the meat turns gentle brown. Take away it meat and preserve it coated to proceed cooking it.

Step 2:

Now saute onions until they flip translucent, and add garlic and cinnamon stick with it. Then add within the browned meat in addition to the spices. Let it cook dinner for a minute, then add in your broth in addition to tomato paste, water, and cloves. Let it simmer for quarter-hour.

Step 3:

Time to make our bechamel sauce! Soften butter with olive oil in a pan after which add flour. Prepare dinner till the flour turns golden. Pour in milk steadily whereas whisking, then add parmesan cheese, nutmeg, and pepper. Then add the eggs and whisk them in together with some salt.

Step 4:

Let’s assemble every little thing! In a baking pan or casserole dish, place the pasta, add a complete egg, and blend them to unfold evenly. Sprinkle feta, then unfold the meat sauce. High it off with the white bechamel sauce we made earlier, and add your favourite shredded cheese.

Step 5:

Bake your Pastitsio in a preheated oven at 350F/180C for half-hour or till the highest turns brown. Take away the pasta and let it relaxation for 45 minutes earlier than reducing it for a clear slice.

Your scrumptious Pastitsio is able to be served!

💭 COOKING TIPS

• Initially Pastitsio is made with bucatini pasta, however you may substitute that pasta with Ziti or penne. I’ve used thick spaghetti as a result of all pasta tastes the identical in taste.
• The cheese often used on this dish is kefalotyri cheese, however my household and I are usually not keen on its taste. Therefore I substituted it with Parmesan cheese.
• Don’t use skim milk or low fats on this recipe it gained’t style nearly as good.
• My hen inventory had salt. Due to this fact, I didn’t use a lot within the meat sauce.

📖 DELICIOUS VARIATIONS

This scrumptious recipe is ideal, however should you’re trying to customise it a bit, listed below are just a few concepts to strive:

Pasta: If you happen to can’t discover any bucatini pasta, don’t fret! Go together with ziti, penne, or spaghetti, and also you’ll nonetheless find yourself with an undeniably scrumptious dish.

Cheese: Historically, kefalotyri cheese is used on this dish. However should you can’t discover it or don’t like the flavour, you may substitute it along with your favourite cheese.

Meat: This can be a meaty dish, but when as an alternative of beef, you wish to go for minced hen or turkey, go for it!

💬 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

🍲 MORE PASTA RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE

🌡️ STORING AND REHEATING

Fridge: You may retailer any leftovers in an hermetic container for as much as 3 days. Alternatively, you may cowl your casserole dish with plastic wrap and retailer it within the fridge for 3 days.

Freezer: You may as well freeze parts of Pastitsio by inserting them in a freezer-safe container and popping them into the freezer. Retailer them for as much as 3 months.

Reheat: Permit the dish to thaw within the fridge in a single day, then heat it within the oven at 350F/180C earlier than serving.

📖 Recipe

Pastitsio Greek Pasta 

This Pastitsio recipe will provide you with the tastiest and best Greek model lasagna! Layers of pasta, meat sauce, and white sauce are ready for you!

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Price

Course: Important Meal

Delicacies: Greek,

Key phrase: Pastitsio

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Prepare dinner Time: 30 minutes

Whole Time: 50 minutes

Servings: 8 Individuals

Energy: 506kcal

Writer: Muna Kenny

Substances

FOR THE MEAT SAUCE

• 500 grams floor beef
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 1 bay depart
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3 minced garlic cloves
• 3 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 cup scorching hen or beef broth
• 4 tablespoon tomato paste
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg powder
• ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
• 2 entire cloves
• ½ teaspoon paprika powder
• Salt to style

FOR THE WHITE SAUCE

• 100 grams butter
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 3 ½ cup milk
• ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg powder
• 1 entire giant egg
• 1 egg yolk
• ½ cup Parmesan cheese

FOR THE PASTA LAYER

• 300 grams cooked pasta (the load earlier than cooking)
• 120 grams feta cheese crumbled
• 1 giant egg

Directions

MAKING THE MEAT SAUCE

• In a big pan, add the bottom meat and cook dinner till all of the liquid evaporates, and the meat turns gentle brown. Take away the meat and preserve it coated to proceed cooking.

• Within the earlier pan, add the olive oil and onion, sauté till the onion is translucent.

• Add the garlic and cook dinner for just a few seconds then add the cinnamon stick and cook dinner for a minute. Add within the browned meat and blend properly on medium warmth.

• To the meat add the bay depart, nutmeg, black pepper, and paprika. Combine properly for a minute.

• Pour the hen or beef inventory, then add the tomato paste, water, and cloves. Stir for a minute on medium warmth. Then let it simmer for quarter-hour.

MAKING THE WHITE SAUCE

• In a pan, add the butter and olive oil, when the butter melts add the flour and cook dinner till the flour turns golden in colour.

• Pour the milk steadily whereas whisking to stop forming and lumps and have a clean sauce.

• When the sauce is thick, add the Parmesan cheese, nutmeg, and black pepper. Combine properly.

• Add the entire egg and the egg yolk to the sauce and whisk till properly mixed.

• Season with salt.

ASSEMBELING THE PASTITSIO

• In a 13 x 10-inch baking pan, place the pasta and add to it a complete egg. Combine the pasta with the eggs properly and unfold evenly.

• Sprinkle the feta cheese over the pasta.

• Unfold the meat sauce evenly over the pasta after which unfold the white sauce over the meat sauce evenly.

• You may sprinkle your favourite shredded cheese on high or bake it with out.

• Bake the Pastitsio in a preheated oven of 350F/180C for half-hour or till the highest is brown.

• Take away the pasta from the oven and let relaxation for 45 minutes earlier than reducing it or the sauce will unfold, and also you gained’t get a clear lower.

Notes

• Initially Pastitsio is made with bucatini pasta, however you may substitute that pasta with Ziti or penne.
• I’ve used thick spaghetti as a result of relating to taste all pasta tastes the identical.
• The cheese often used on this dish is kefalotyri cheese, however my household and I are usually not keen on its taste, therefore I substituted with Parmesan cheese.
• Don’t use skim milk or low fats on this recipe it gained’t style nearly as good.
• My hen inventory had salt due to this fact I didn’t use a lot within the meat sauce.

Vitamin

Serving: 1 Serving | Energy: 506kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 25g | Fats: 32g | Saturated Fats: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 2g | Monounsaturated Fats: 15g | Trans Fats: 1g | Ldl cholesterol: 143mg | Sodium: 466mg | Potassium: 545mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 527IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 314mg | Iron: 3mg