This recipe for traditional Pastitsio (Greek Lasagna) was given to me by a Greek family who has had this recipe in their family recipe collection for a very long time.
Watch the video showing you how to make Pastitsio, then scroll to the bottom of this post and print out the recipe so you can make it at home.
Pastitsio is a favorite traditional Greek dinner recipe. It’s a Greek version of lasagna- characterized by a white and creamy bechamel sauce used in place of marinara and a hint of cinnamon. And I think you’ll find that this is one of the most delicious dinner recipes you’ve ever had!
How do you make Pastitsio?
It’s layered just like traditional Italian lasagna. The layers are as follows: noodles tossed in egg are topped with Greek cheese.
A generous layer of meat sauce makes up the next layer.
Then, more noodles and cheese!
On top is the final layer of the bechamel sauce and more cheese!
It’s baked for 40 to 45 minutes, blending all of those layers together to create a fabulous meal.
The best tip I received about making Pastitsio is to make it early in the morning (or the night before), and then warm up individual slices when ready to eat. You certainly don’t have to make it this way, just know that the pasta dish will be more “loose” and will not likely cut into neat squares as you see in the photos here.
It will be tremendously delicious either way you decide to make it!
I do love how the layers are clearly seen in the slices. They’re a little mesmerizing.
My family LOVES, LOVES, LOVES this recipe. The bechamel sauce is a welcome change over the usual marinara, the hint of cinnamon in the meat layer is an interesting addition, and the Greek cheese connecting all of the layers is delicious! Authentic Greek recipes are the absolute best!
If you enjoy Greek recipes, you might also like my Greek Spinach Pie or my Greek Butter Cookies. You definitely have to try making Greek Tzatziki too!
Pastitsio (Greek Lasagna)
Ingredients
BECHAMEL SAUCE:
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 quart whole milk, warmed until hot
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 3 large eggs
MAIN DISH:
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 medium onions, chopped
- 2 pounds 90% lean ground beef
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- salt and pepper, to taste
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 pound ziti pasta
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 12 to 16 ounces Kasseri or Kefalotiri cheese, grated (see notes below)
Instructions
PREPARE THE BECHAMEL SAUCE:
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Whisk in the flour and then gradually whisk in the hot milk. Cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce is smooth and thickened. Stir in the salt, remove from heat and let cool. When the sauce is lukewarm, whisk in the eggs. Set aside.
PREPARE THE MEAT LAYER:
- Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large skillet. Add the onions and saute until softened and golden. Crumble the beef into the skillet and cook with the onions until the beef is browned. Stir in the cinnamon, salt and pepper. Stir in the water and tomato paste, and simmer for 5 minutes. Set aside.
PREPARE THE PASTA LAYER:
- Cook ziti according to directions on the package. Drain and rinse with cool water. When pasta has cooled down, stir in the beaten eggs and 1½ teaspoons salt.
ASSEMBLE THE DISH:
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a deep 9x13-inch casserole dish with nonstick spray. You really need a deep casserole dish for this recipe (deeper than the usual 9x13-inch pyrex).
- Scoop half of the pasta into the bottom of your prepared dish. Sprinkle generously with cheese. Spoon on the meat mixture to create an even layer; sprinkle with another layer of cheese. Scoop the remaining pasta on top of the meat and sprinkle with more cheese! Top with the cream sauce and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
- Bake 45 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and golden on top. Let sit at room temperature for at least 20 minutes before serving (but it is suggested that you refrigerate to let the layers set... and then warm up later to serve).
Notes
- *Whole Foods carries Kasseri cheese- or check a specialty cheese shop. If you have trouble locating Greek cheeses, you can sub Parmesan.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
very good will tyr again
Amazing recipe. Couldn’t find the right cheeses anywhere so went with manchego and mild white cheddar. Next time I do this I want to take some pages from the other commenters and use lamb and add garlic and paprika.
I’ve been making this dish since I was 5 years old. It’s been a few years since I made it and wanted to check my ingredients. First off ground lamb and not beef is the correct meat. Second paprika needs to be used with the cinnamon finally for the sauce don’t whisk it constantly but allow it to foam up and then gently whisk. You need a very large pot to do this in. Otherwise this is a good recipe. I also use Parmesan cheese in the mix as it absorbs some of the moisture. I find it hard to believe this is a traditional Greek recipe as the paprika and lamb are very important. We use ground beef when lamb is hard to find.
It’s a recipe directly from Greek friends- I’m sure everyone makes it differently, but I’d love it with lamb!
I made this tonight and it is amazing! Very authentic, I’ve made a few different recipes bc this is what I always order at Greek restaurants but they haven’t really come close to “real” pastitsio. I did add a little garlic to the onion and beef mix and I couldn’t find the right cheese so I used parmesan mixed with a little feta and it worked great. I haven’t gotten to eat out at any restaurants with the pandemic so this really hit the spot! Thanks
Great to hear!
I noticed the egg thing too so I wanted to.clarofy before I make this tonight. The ingredients list only says 3 eggs but in the written instructions it says to add the beaten eggs to rhe beschsmel sauce but then in the instructions for the pasta it also says stir in heaven eggs. Are there 6 eggs total? 3 in the sauce and 3 in the pasta or 1.5 in each? Its just a little unclear
Hi Clare, If you print out the recipe– it calls for 3 eggs in the sauce and 3 eggs in the main part of the dish, so yes… 6 eggs.
My daughter in law who lives in Greece and is full blooded Greek, uses feta cheese in hers instead of the Kassari Cheese.
Overall a good recipe. I was a little shocked that there wasn’t any garlic, so I added some. I also found that the 3/4 cup of flour was too much for me so I backed it down some. I also added a little oregano which really punched up the flavor. Using whole milk was such a good recommendation!
Just FYI, my Greek friend uses ground lamb in her recipe.
This was definitely missing flavor. My husband was afraid to tell me how bland it was, so I had to sprinkle taco seasoning on it after it was all done. Not exactly the type of flavor I wanted it to be, but after it was baked, I had very little choice. It needed way more cinnamon than the recipe called for and god only knows what else, but it sure was boring. I’m not one to write negative reviews just to complain, but I have had genuine Greek Pastitsio before, and this was recipe was lacking.
I don’t know what happened with your recipe, but it definitely shouldn’t have been bland! This is the first bad review I’ve seen on this one– so I’m not sure where things went wrong. Sorry you didn’t enjoy!
Is there a good substition anyone has found for the eggs? I have an egg allergy, I can handle a couple eggs, but 6 in the recipe makes me cautious. Thank you in advance 🙂