Pasta Casserole (Pastitsio)
Ziti or bucatini pasta, minced beef or lamb and canned chopped tomatoes come together in this beef β 75 minutes, 7 steps, and the kind of result worth repeating. 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 pan. 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)
π Unit converter
How to make it
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan and gently cook the finely chopped onions and garlic until soft, about 6 to 8 minutes.
- Add the minced meat and cook over higher heat, breaking it up, until browned, then stir in the tomato paste, chopped tomatoes, white wine, water, stock powder and cinnamon.
- Simmer the meat sauce uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes until thick, season with salt and pepper, and preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F).
- Cook the pasta in salted boiling water until just shy of al dente, drain, and toss with a little of the cheese.
- Make the topping by melting the butter, whisking in the flour for a minute, then gradually adding the milk and stirring until thickened; remove from the heat and beat in most of the cheese plus a little salt.
- Layer half the pasta in a greased baking dish, spread over the meat sauce, then top with the remaining pasta and pour the white sauce evenly over the surface.
- Scatter with the remaining cheese and bake for 40 to 45 minutes until golden and set, then let it stand for 15 minutes before cutting into squares to serve.
You'll use: Oven Β· Pan Β· Saucepan Β· Whisk Β· Baking dish
Ingredient substitutions
- White Wine
- chicken or vegetable stock + 1 tsp vinegar
- Butter
- olive oil (ΒΎ the amount) Β· coconut oil Β· margarine
- Milk
- any unsweetened plant milk Β· Β½ cup evaporated milk + Β½ cup water
- Parmesan
- pecorino Β· grana padano Β· aged asiago
Tips & common questions
How long does Pasta Casserole (Pastitsio) take to make?
About 75 minutes from start to finish β an estimate based on the 7 steps and 16 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of white wine?
Try chicken or vegetable stock + 1 tsp vinegar. See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes β 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
Pasta Casserole (Pastitsio) is an original 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 β how we source recipes.