Moussaka might be the most famous Greek casserole, but it certainly isn’t the only one. Similar to Greek moussaka, pastitsio starts out with layers of spiced meat and gets finished with creamy, cheesy béchamel sauce before getting baked. Pastitsio, however, uses pasta, specifically the titular extra-large hollow noodles sometimes referred to as Greek macaroni (we loveLoibrand). Bucatini will work in a pinch, as will Romano cheese subbed in for the salty, fragrant Greek cheese kasseri, which you can find at specialty markets.
While you can make your pastitsio from start to finish all in one day, we highly recommend cooking the sauce the day before you want to serve the casserole for the cleanest slices and most flavorful finished product. Chilling the meat sauce overnight thickens it up so you can spread it on top of the pasta in a defined layer (which will result in the most impressive-looking slices).
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What you’ll need
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Dutch Oven
$80 At Amazon
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13x9" Baking Dish
$20 At Amazon
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Box Grater
$13 At Amazon
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Colander
$11 At Amazon
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Can Opener
$14 At Amazon
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Wooden Spoon
$7 At Amazon
Ingredients
8 servings
sauce
BÉchamel and assembly
sauce
Step 1
Heat2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil在一个大型的荷兰烤肉锅或其他重型锅读出um-high. Cook2 finely chopped large red onions,4 thinly sliced garlic cloves, and2 lb. ground beef, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon and stirring occasionally, until onions are softened and beef is browned, 10–15 minutes.
Step 2
Add2 bay leaves,3 Tbsp. double-concentrated tomato paste,2 tsp. Diamond Crystalor1¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt,¾ tsp. ground cumin,¾ tsp. ground cinnamon, and¼ tsp. ground clovesto pot; season withfreshly ground black pepper. Cook, stirring often, until tomato paste and spices are evenly distributed, about 4 minutes. Add¾ cup red wine, scraping up any browned bits, and cook, stirring occasionally, until almost completely evaporated, about 3 minutes. Addone 28-oz. can crushed tomatoesand2 cups low-sodium beef brothand stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thick and meaty (most of the liquid should have cooked off), 45–60 minutes. Taste and season with salt. Let cool until almost room temperature, about 30 minutes.
Do ahead:Sauce can be made 3 days ahead. Transfer to an airtight container; cover and chill. Reheat slightly (it will heat through when baked), adding a little broth or water to loosen just enough to make it spreadable.
BÉchamel and assembly
Step 3
Preheat oven to 350°. Cook1 lb. pastitsio noodlesor12 oz. bucatiniin a large pot of boiling salted water until very al dente, about 2 minutes less than package directions. Drain and rinse under cold running water to cool. Transfer to a 13x9" baking dish.
Step 4
Working one at a time, separate yolks from2 room-temperature large eggsover a small bowl to catch egg whites. Place yolks in another small bowl; set aside. Beat egg whites to blend well. Add egg whites to noodles and toss to coat (this will help the noodles form a sliceable layer in the final dish). Arrange noodles in straight lines, all facing the same direction, as best you can.
Step 5
Melt5 Tbsp. unsalted butterin a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add5 Tbsp. all-purpose flourand whisk until flour is combined and mixture is light and frothy, about 3 minutes. Add3 cups room-temperature milkin a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly to combine. Cook, whisking constantly, until thick enough to coat a spoon, 6–8 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in5 oz. finely grated kasseriorRomano cheese. Taste and season with salt andfreshly ground black pepper(be sure to taste after whisking in the cheese; depending on the kind of cheese you use, you may not need to add any salt). Beat reserved egg yolks to blend, then whisk into béchamel.
Step 6
Spoon meat sauce over noodles in baking dish, then top with béchamel, smoothing into an even layer. Sprinkle remaining2 oz. finely grated kasseri or Romano cheeseon top. Bake pastitsio until starting to brown around the edges and top is set (it will still be a little jiggly, but will continue to firm up as it cools), 35–40 minutes.
Step 7
Heat broiler. Broil until top of pastitsio is browned in spots, about 4 minutes. Let sit at least 30 minutes before slicing.
Do ahead:Pastitsio can be assembled 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.
