Greek Spiced Beef Pasta Bake — Pastitsio
Layers of tubular pasta and spiced beef mince topped with a thick béchamel.
Greek
Categories
Nutrition per Serving
Ingredients
For 2 servings
Instructions
Prep
Finely dice 1 large onion and mince 2 garlic cloves. Grate 40g cheese and separate 0.5 head cos lettuce. Beat 2 eggs and warm 450ml milk. Measure all spices, salt, and pepper.
Boil
Cook 200g pasta in salted boiling water 2 minutes under packet time until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside. While pasta cooks, preheat oven to 180°C.
Saute
Heat 2 tbsp oil in a medium pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and soften 5–6 minutes until translucent. Add garlic, cook 1 minute until fragrant. Add 450g beef mince, cook 6–8 minutes breaking up with a spoon, until deeply browned.
Build 1
Stir in 1 tbsp tomato paste, cook 1 minute. Pour in 75ml red wine, simmer 2–3 minutes until reduced by half. Add 200g crushed tomatoes, 0.5 cinnamon stick, 1 clove, 1 bay leaf, oregano, 1 tsp salt, and 0.25 tsp pepper. Simmer uncovered 15–18 minutes until thick and rich. Discard whole spices.
Build 2
Melt 40g butter in a separate small pan over medium heat. Whisk in 40g flour, cook 2 minutes stirring constantly until pale golden. Gradually whisk in warm milk in a steady stream, whisking out lumps. Stir continuously 6–8 minutes until thick and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat, stir in 0.25 tsp nutmeg, half the cheese, and beaten eggs. Season with salt to taste.
Bake
Spread half the pasta in a medium baking dish (8×8 inch or similar). Spoon all meat sauce evenly over pasta. Layer remaining pasta over sauce. Pour béchamel over top, spread to edges. Scatter remaining cheese over béchamel. Bake 35–40 minutes until deep golden and set.
Rest and plate
Rest pastitsio 10 minutes before cutting into portions. Toss cos lettuce with 1 tbsp oil and 0.5 tbsp vinegar for side salad. Serve warm with salad and crusty bread.
Recipes use AI and Edamam. Always check for allergens before cooking. Spotted something wrong—email us at hello@grubplanit.com.