Pastitsio
This Greek beef builds bucatini or thick tubular pasta, ground beef and crushed tomatoes into a comforting meal you can have ready in about 75 minutes. Scroll down for the ingredient checklist, a serving scaler and unit converter, and the method broken into 7 steps.
You'll mainly reach for oven and saucepan. At medium difficulty across 7 steps, it's manageable with a little attention.
What you'll need
Shopping list (5)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
🔁 Unit converter
How to make it
- Sauté the chopped onion in a little oil until soft, add the garlic and ground beef, and brown well, breaking up the meat, then stir in the tomato paste, pour in the wine, and let it bubble away for 2 minutes.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, cinnamon, salt, and pepper, then simmer the meat sauce uncovered for about 25 minutes until thick and the beef is fully cooked through to at least 74°C (165°F), and set aside to cool slightly.
- Boil the pasta in salted water until just shy of al dente, drain, and toss with a third of the grated cheese and one beaten egg so it binds when baked.
- Make the béchamel by melting the butter, whisking in the flour to cook for 1 minute, then gradually whisking in the warm milk until thick and smooth, and off the heat beat in the remaining egg and half the cheese.
- Spread half the pasta over the base of a greased baking dish, cover with all the meat sauce, then top with the remaining pasta, pressing into an even layer.
- Pour the béchamel over the top, smooth it out, scatter with the last of the cheese, and bake at 180°C for 40 to 45 minutes until the top is set and deeply golden.
- Let the pastitsio rest for at least 20 minutes so the layers firm up before cutting into neat squares to serve.
You'll use: Oven · Saucepan · Whisk · Baking dish
Ingredient substitutions
- Red Wine
- beef stock + 1 tsp red wine vinegar · grape juice + vinegar
- Butter
- olive oil (¾ the amount) · coconut oil · margarine
- Milk
- any unsweetened plant milk · ½ cup evaporated milk + ½ cup water
- Eggs
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce (baking) · 1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water per egg
What to serve with Pastitsio
- Garides Saganaki Seafood
- Honey Yogurt Cheesecake Dessert
- Stuffed Lamb Tomatoes Lamb
- Lamb and Lemon Souvlaki Lamb
Tips & common questions
How long does Pastitsio take to make?
About 75 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 7 steps and 14 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of red wine?
Try beef stock + 1 tsp red wine vinegar. See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
How should I store leftovers?
Cool leftovers quickly, refrigerate in an airtight container, and eat within 3 days. Reheat until piping hot throughout.
Related recipes
Pastitsio is an original Greek recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: Pastitsio homemade.jpg by Sam Bailey, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top — how we source recipes.