# Pastitsio (Greek Pasta Bake)

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**Total Time**: 2 hours and 15 minutes  
**Prep Time**: 15 minutes  
**Cook Time**: 2 hours  
**Rating**: 5 out of 5 stars (115)

## Ingredients

8 servings

- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 2 red onions, finely chopped (sub yellow or brown onions)
- 1 kg / 2 lb beef mince (ground beef)
- 3/4 cup red wine, dry (Note 1)
- 800g / 28 oz canned crushed tomato
- 2 beef bouillon cubes, crumbled (stock cubes)
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp white sugar
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1 cinnamon stick (or extra 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder)
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 100g / 7 tbsp butter, unsalted
- 3/4 cup flour, plain/all-purpose
- 1 litre / 4 cups milk, whole/full fat best but low fat ok
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg, preferably freshly grated
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 100g / 3 oz Kefalotyri Greek cheese (sub Parmesan or Romano), finely shredded (Note 2)
- 2 egg yolks (egg whites are used in the pasta)
- 400g / 14 oz Pastitsio No. 2 pasta / Greek bucatini (sub small ziti, penne or normal bucatini, Note 3)
- 120g / 4 oz feta, crumbled
- 2 egg whites (yolks used in Béchamel)
- 75g / 3 oz Kefalotyri Greek cheese (sub parmesan or Romano), finely grated (Note 2)

## Preparation

### Step 1
**Meat Sauce:**  
Heat in a large pot over high heat. Add garlic and onion, cook for 2 - 3 minutes until onion is softened. Add beef and cook, breaking it up as you go, until it changes from red to brown.

### Step 2
Add wine and cook until the wine has mostly evaporated – about 3 minutes.

### Step 3
Add remaining Meat Sauce ingredients. Stir well, bring to simmer, then reduce heat to medium/medium low so it's simmering gently. Cook for 45 min to 1 hour until liquid is mostly gone, stirring every now and then. It should be a thick mixture with little liquid, not saucy like Spaghetti Bolognese (Note 4).

### Step 4
Remove from stove and cool. Preferably to room temperature, otherwise for at least 30 minutes before assembling (lid off).

### Step 5
**Greek Béchamel (Note 5):**  
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and stir for 1 minute.

### Step 6
While stirring, slowly pour half the milk in. It should turn into a wet paste. Then again, while stirring, pour in remaining milk – the paste should easily dissolve so it’s lump-free. If not, just whisk vigorously.

### Step 7
Cook, stirring so the base doesn't catch, for 5 minutes or until thick enough so it coats the back of a wooden spoon thickly and you can draw a path across it with your finger.

### Step 8
Remove from stove. Stir in nutmeg, cheese and salt.

### Step 9
Leave to cool for 5 minutes. Then whisk in egg yolks quickly. Place lid on and set aside. If sauce cools and gets too thick to pour, just reheat on a low stove until pourable.

### Step 10
**Pasta (Note 6):**  
When you’re ready to assemble, cook the pasta per packet instructions, minus 1 minute.

### Step 11
Drain, then return to the pot. Leave to cool for 3 minutes, then stir through egg whites. Gently stir through crumbled feta.

### Step 12
**Assemble and bake:**  
Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (all oven types).

### Step 13
Place pasta in a baking dish (33 x 22 x 7 cm / 9 x 13 x 2.75"), arranging them so they are all going in the same direction as best you can (for visual effect when sliced). Make the surface as level as you can.

### Step 14
Top with Meat Sauce, then smooth the surface.

### Step 15
Pour over Béchamel Sauce, then sprinkle over the cheese.

### Step 16
Bake for 30 min or until crust turns golden.

### Step 17
Cool for at least 10 minutes so you can cut neat slices with the layers neatly visible. Serve!