Pastitsio; A Greek inspired Pasta Bake
This rich and savory Greek inspired pasta dish is perfect for feeding a crowd. The creamy béchamel sauce gives it a richness that will have you coming back of more.
Equipment
- 13 X 9 inch oven safe casserole dish
Ingredients
For the meat sauce:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb Italian sausage
- ½ cup dry red wine
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
- salt and pepper, to taste
For the Bechamel sauce:
- 2½ cups milk
- 4 tbsp butter
- ¼ cup flour
- ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 1½ cups Parmesan cheese, grated
- ⅔ cup Greek yogurt
- 1 lb rigatoni or ziti noodles, cooked al dente, according to package directions
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
Instructions
Make the meat sauce:
- In a large Dutch oven pot heat olive oil over medium heat.
- Add diced onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the ground beef and Italian sausage to the pot and break it up into small crumbles with a wooden spoon as it cooks.
- Drain off any excess fat.
- Add wine to the pot to deglaze the pan and cook off liquid.
- Add minced garlic, Italian seasoning, oregano, thyme, cayenne, salt and pepper to the pot and stir to combine. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add crushed tomatoes to the pot and simmer for 45-50 minutes stirring occasionally.
- Cover and set aside until needed.
Make Béchamel sauce:
- Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Whisk in the flour and cook for about two minutes to cook off the raw flour taste and remove any lumps.
- Add milk, whisking continuously until heated through and sauce starts to thicken, about 5-6 minutes.
- Add grated nutmeg, salt and pepper to the cream sauce. Stir to combine.
- Stir in ¾ cup of the grated Parmesan cheese and cook until cheese has melted into the sauce.
- Remove from heat and stir in Greek yogurt. Set aside.
Assemble and cook casserole:
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- Cook pasta until al dente, according to package directions, drain.
- Add cooked, drained pasta to the meat sauce, stirring to combine.
- Spread meat sauce and pasta in the bottom of a high sided 13 x 9 inch oven safe casserole dish.
- Top with an even layer of the béchamel sauce.
- Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese and finish with a layer of shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Cover with foil and bake for 60 minutes.
- Remove foil and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until golden brown along the edges and the center is hot and bubbly.
Notes
Casserole can be assembled beforehand up to two days and refrigerated. Increase time in the oven to make sure casserole is hot and cooked through.