Comforting Pastitsio (Printable Version)
Enjoy tender pasta paired with a rich tomato meat sauce, velvety bechamel, and grated Parmesan in this comforting spin on pastitsio.
# Ingredients:
→ Meat Sauce
01 -
3 tablespoons of olive oil
02 -
1 pound of ground lamb (pork works too)
03 -
1 pound of lean ground beef
04 -
1 large diced yellow onion
05 -
1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
06 -
1 teaspoon thyme, fresh if possible
07 -
1 teaspoon dried oregano
08 -
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
09 -
1/2 cup dry red wine
10 -
1 pinch cayenne for some heat
11 -
28-ounce can of San Marzano tomatoes, crushed
12 -
Kosher salt and cracked black pepper
→ Bechamel
13 -
2/3 cup Greek yogurt
14 -
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
15 -
2 1/2 cups of milk (low-fat or your preference)
16 -
4 tablespoons of butter (unsalted)
17 -
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
18 -
Salt and black pepper to taste
19 -
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan (split into 3/4 cups each)
→ Pasta
20 -
12 ounces of pasta (small shells, penne, or ziti)
→ Optional Topping
21 -
Grated mozzarella (optional, but awesome)
# Steps:
01 -
Pour olive oil into a big pot and warm it up on medium-high. Toss in the onion and cook until softened for about 5 minutes. Add in both the lamb and beef and stir them around, breaking them apart, until cooked fully—this will take 10 minutes. Drain off extra fat, then pour in the wine. Let it cook down for about 3 minutes, then mix in garlic, cinnamon, oregano, thyme, and a little cayenne. After 5 minutes, stir in the tomatoes and season with a couple of teaspoons of salt and some black pepper. Simmer gently for 40 to 45 minutes, stirring once in a while. Set aside to cool a bit.
02 -
Before anything else, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). On medium heat, let the butter melt in a small pot, then add the flour. Stir it for about 2 minutes, making sure the raw smell disappears. Slowly pour in the milk a little at a time while whisking so there are no lumps. Let it simmer until it gets thick, about 7-8 minutes, stirring often. Add nutmeg plus salt and pepper. Mix in half the Parmesan and set the whole thing aside to cool for 10 minutes. Stir in the Greek yogurt after it’s slightly cool.
03 -
In a big pot of salted, boiling water, cook the pasta until it’s firm but not hard—al dente. Drain it, then add it into the sauce you already made. Stir well to coat.
04 -
In a 9x13 dish, pour the pasta and meat sauce mixture, spreading it evenly across. Pour the bechamel over everything, smoothing it out. Sprinkle the rest of the Parmesan, and if you want, throw some mozzarella on top.
05 -
Place the casserole in the oven and cook for 45 to 60 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when the top is bubbly and golden. If you made parts of this earlier, shorten the baking time accordingly.
# Notes:
01 -
You can make the meat sauce and bechamel the day before. Put it together and bake fresh for the best flavor.