Greek Pastitsio Recipe (Greek Lasagna)

Greek Pastitsio Recipe, (or Greek Lasagna - Greek Macaroni), is a favorite comfort food of mine, especially when I need to feed a crowd.

It's a baked pasta dish with layers of pasta, topped with rich meat ragu and velvety béchamel sauce.

This traditional Greek dish freezes beautifully and is ideal for making ahead.

Pastitsio, or Pastichio, shares similarities with Greek Moussaka (Musaka) but is slightly less popular beyond Greece. We love them both equally, and they each bring their own delicious taste to the table.

This delightful Greek pasta bake pairs well with a bowl of Greek Cucumber Salad and a piece of crusty Dutch Oven Sourdough Bread to mop up the juices!

Jump to:

• Ingredients You'll Need
• How to Make Greek Pastitsio Recipe (Greek Lasagna)?
• Top Tips From the Chef
• Serving Suggestions
• Storage and Reheating Instructions
• Recipe FAQs
• Related Recipes
• Pair it With
• Greek Pastitsio Recipe (Greek Lasagna)

Ingredients You'll Need

Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.

Ingredients for Meat Sauce

• Ground beef - I prefer using high-fat beef mince for better flavor. It also provides enough fat to cook onions and vegetables, so you don't need extra olive oil. You will need 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil if you prefer using lean meat.

• Tinned tomatoes - In the summertime, when ripe and juicy tomatoes are in abundance, feel free to use fresh ones instead.

• Tomato paste - It brings a rich umami flavor and vibrant red hue to dishes. You can find it at Middle Eastern shops, or conveniently order it online from Amazon.

• Red wine - While it's a traditional ingredient for the meat sauce, you can omit it when cooking for kids. Opt for a high-quality wine that you'd enjoy drinking yourself.

• Onions - You can use white, brown, or yellow onions.

• Nutmeg - It's perfect for enhancing the flavor of the béchamel sauce. I prefer to grate fresh nutmeg using a Microplane Zester Grater for a more intense flavor and freshness.

• Garlic - Fresh garlic is a wonderful flavor enhancer that brings sweetness and nuttiness to dishes. You can easily turn it into a paste using a Mortar and Pestle or grate it using a Microplane Zester Grater.

Ingredients for Bechamel Sauce and Pastitsio Pasta

• Pasta - While bucatini is the traditional choice for making Greek Pastitsio Recipe (Greek Lasagna), you can substitute it with ziti or penne.

• Feta and egg whites - The feta cheese brings a delicious tang, while the egg whites help keep the pastitsio together when it's cut!

• Milk - I use either full-fat or semi-skimmed milk for the béchamel sauce. Add it gradually, a little at a time, to the butter and flour mixture to achieve a smooth sauce.

• Yogurt - For this recipe, you'll need plain, unsweetened natural or Greek yogurt. It adds a slight tanginess to the sauce.

• Butter - Choose good quality unsalted butter. When making the béchamel, make sure it is completely melted before adding the flour.

• Plain Flour - Also known as all-purpose flour, it's ideal for baking cakes, cookies, pastries, and thickening sauces.

• Egg yolk - Enhances the flavor and richness of the béchamel sauce.

• Parmesan - While pastitsio typically uses Greek cheese such as Kefalotiri or Kaseri, freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano (Parmesan) or Romano cheese can be great substitutes.

How to Make Greek Pastitsio Recipe (Greek Lasagna)?

Making this Greek Pastitsio dish takes some time, a bit of effort, and quite a few dishes to wash, but don't be discouraged by that.

To achieve the best results, just follow these simple steps:

Prepare the Meat Sauce

To make the meat sauce, heat a large pan or a Dutch oven on medium heat and put the ground beef in. 

Cook the meat until it releases its fat and is nicely browned. Break the mince down into small pieces with a wooden spoon while cooking. 

Add the onions and garlic to the pan and sauté them until they become translucent in the fat released by the meat. If the meat doesn't release enough fat, you can add some olive oil to help cook the onions and garlic.

Pour in red wine, allowing it to simmer until reduced by half.

Next, add the freshly ground black pepper, tomato paste, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, stock cube, bay leaves, and salt. Sauté everything for about 30 seconds.

Stir in the chopped tomatoes, and simmer uncovered over low heat for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens. 

Remove bay leaves and let the meat sauce cool down while preparing the bechamel sauce and cooking the pasta.

Prepare the Bechamel Sauce

To make the béchamel sauce, in a separate saucepan, melt unsalted butter over medium heat.

Add flour to the melted butter, stirring constantly to form a smooth paste. Cook for about 1-2 minutes. Don't let it brown; it needs to stay pale in color.

Gradually pour in milk, whisking constantly to avoid lumps, until the mixture thickens and becomes smooth. The sauce can stick to the bottom of the pan and burn easily, so be sure to keep stirring it constantly.

Season the sauce with salt and nutmeg, then remove from heat.

Let the sauce cool down for 5 minutes, then stir in yogurt, egg yolks, and half of the grated parmesan cheese until well combined. Set aside.

Prepare the Pastitsio Pasta 

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Cook the bucatini (or penne, or ziti) pasta for 3-4 minutes less than the package instructions. 

Drain and place the pasta in a large mixing bowl, toss with egg whites and crumbled feta cheese until well coated.

Lightly grease a rectangular dish approximately size of 33 cm x 22 cm (13" x 9") with a minimum of 9 cm (3.5") depth. Layer the prepared pasta in your prepared baking dish.

Top the pasta with the meat sauce, and spread it out evenly.

Pour the prepared béchamel sauce neatly over the meat sauce, then use a spatula to smooth it out. Sprinkle the remaining half of the grated Parmesan cheese on top.

Bake the Pastitsio in the preheated oven for 35-45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and bubbly.

Allow the pastitsio to cool for 15-20 minutes before slicing it into squares and serving.

Top Tips From the Chef

• Use full-fat Greek yogurt for a creamier texture in the béchamel sauce.

• Remove the bay leaves before building your Greek Lasagne dish.

• Don't skip the nutmeg in the béchamel sauce—it adds a unique flavor that complements the dish.

• Let the Pastitsio cool for 15-20 minutes before slicing it into squares and serving.

• If you're short on time, you can prepare the meat sauce and béchamel sauce ahead of time and assemble the pastitsio when you're ready to bake it.

Serving Suggestions

I typically serve this Greek Macaroni dish with a bowl of Greek Cucumber Salad, Mango Salad with Avocado and Cucumber, or Watermelon Feta Salad with Cucumber on the side.
Alternatively, you can serve this delicious pasta dish with some Briam - Greek Roasted Vegetables, and a slice of crusty Blackpepper Sourdough Focaccia on the side.

Storage and Reheating Instructions

Allow the leftover Pastitsio to cool completely after baking and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Alternatively, you can freeze individual portions of Pastitsio in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months.

To reheat refrigerated pastitsio, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

Place it in an oven-safe dish and cover it with foil to prevent drying out. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until heated through.

Alternatively, you can reheat individual portions in the microwave on medium power, stirring occasionally, until heated to your liking.

If reheating from frozen, allow the pastitsio to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating following the same instructions as above.

Recipe FAQs

Related Recipes

Looking for other Greek recipes? Try these:

Pair it With

These are my favorite dishes to serve with the Greek Pastitsio Recipe:

Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.

I hope you enjoy the process of making this delicious and comforting Greek Pastitsio Recipe as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂 

Bon appétit! / Afiyet olsun!