Pastitsio Recipe

Cook the pasta

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the ditaloni or penne and cook until just al dente (about 1–2 minutes less than package instructions). Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain well.

Combine pasta with binder: In a large bowl, whisk the 3 eggs, then stir in the melted butter, 1 cup grated cheese and 1 tsp kosher salt. Add the hot drained pasta and toss thoroughly so pasta is evenly coated. If mixture seems dry, add up to 1/4 cup reserved pasta water to moisten.

Spread the pasta evenly: Lightly oil a 9x13-inch (or similar) baking dish with 1 tbsp olive oil or melted butter. Spread half of the pasta into the bottom of the dish in an even layer. Set remaining half aside for layering after the meat sauce.

Sauté aromatics: In a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat, heat 2 tbsp olive oil. Add finely chopped onion, carrot and celery and cook until softened and translucent, about 6–8 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook 30–60 seconds until fragrant.

Brown the meat: Increase heat to medium-high. Add ground beef and ground lamb (if using). Break meat up with a spoon and brown until no longer pink, about 6–8 minutes. Drain excess fat if there is a lot, leaving a tablespoon for flavor.

Build the sauce: Stir in 2 tbsp tomato paste and cook 1–2 minutes to caramelize. Pour in 120 ml red wine and scrape up browned bits; let wine reduce by half, about 2–3 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, 120 ml stock, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, bay leaf, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper. Bring to a simmer.

Simmer gently: Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thickened and flavors meld, 20–30 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning; remove and discard bay leaf.

Layer the sauce: Spoon the meat sauce evenly over the first pasta layer in the baking dish.

Top with remaining pasta: Spread the reserved pasta mixture over the meat sauce in an even layer, pressing gently to compact slightly.

Warm the milk: Heat the 1 liter of milk in a saucepan until steaming but not boiling; keep warm while you make the roux.

Make roux: In a medium heavy saucepan over medium heat, melt 6 tbsp butter. Add 6 tbsp flour and whisk continuously for 1–2 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste; do not let it brown.

Whisk in milk: Gradually pour the warm milk into the roux in a thin steady stream while whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Bring to a gentle simmer; the sauce will thicken as it heats, about 5–8 minutes.

Season and enrich: Stir in 0.25 tsp grated nutmeg, 1 tsp salt and 0.5 tsp white or black pepper. Remove the béchamel from the heat and let it cool 2–3 minutes so it is warm but not hot.

Temper the egg yolks: Whisk the 2 egg yolks in a small bowl. Add a ladleful of the warm béchamel to the yolks while whisking constantly to temper, then whisk the tempered yolks back into the main béchamel pot. Stir in 1/2 cup grated cheese. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Pour over the assembled pasta and meat: Pour béchamel evenly over the top pasta layer. Use a spatula to smooth the surface. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup grated cheese evenly over the béchamel.

Bake: Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Tent the dish loosely with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking until top is deeply golden and bubbling, about 20–25 minutes more. If you prefer a deeply browned top, finish under the broiler for 2–3 minutes—watch carefully to avoid burning.

Rest and serve: Remove from oven and let the pastitsio rest 15–20 minutes to set. This makes slicing cleaner. Cut into squares and serve warm. Leftovers refrigerate up to 3–4 days and reheat covered at 180°C (350°F) until heated through.