Ingredients You’ll Need
- For the Meat Sauce (Make Day Ahead)
- 3 lbs ground beef
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 cans (15 oz each) tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- Coarse kosher salt to taste
- Olive oil for cooking
- For the Pasta Layer
- 1 package pastitsio noodles or mostaccioli
- 1 egg, beaten
- Salt for pasta water
- For the Cheese
- 1/2 lb or more kasseri cheese, grated (about 4 cups, or use asiago or Italian blend)
- For the Béchamel Sauce
- 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, divided
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 5 1/2 cups whole milk, divided
- 3 eggs
How to Make It
1. Make the Meat Sauce (Day Before): In a large pot, heat a little olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onions with a generous pinch of salt and cook until just translucent. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink. Add the tomato sauce and cinnamon, stir, and bring to a simmer. Season with salt to taste. Let the sauce stew for 3 hours – yes, 3 whole hours – with the lid on but slightly askew. Stir occasionally. Let it cool, then refrigerate overnight.
2. Prep Before Assembly: Bring the meat sauce to room temperature or warm it gently. Grate the kasseri cheese – you want at least 4 cups total. Set aside.
3. Cook the Noodles: Cook the noodles in boiling salted water until al dente – a minute or two less than the package directions. Drain and let cool until you can handle them. Put the noodles in a large bowl and mix in one beaten egg with your hands.
4. Start Layering: Heat your oven to 350 degrees. Drizzle a little olive oil in the bottom of a large lasagna pan (12×18 inches works great) or coat with cooking spray. Add all the noodles that were tossed with egg and spread them evenly in the bottom. Sprinkle with a third of the shredded cheese. Using a slotted spoon, spread all or most of the meat mixture evenly over the noodles and cheese. Sprinkle another third of the cheese over the meat layer.
5. Make the Béchamel: In a heavy-bottomed large pot, melt 1 stick of butter. Add the flour and whisk to combine well. Cook, stirring constantly, for a minute or two. Slowly add 5 cups of milk, whisking the whole time. Cook and whisk until it just starts to boil and bubble. Turn off the heat.
6. Finish the Béchamel: In a separate bowl, beat 3 eggs and 1/2 cup milk with a hand mixer. Slowly add this mixture to the pot, whisking constantly. Put it back on medium-high heat and cook, whisking, until thick and bubbly. When it reaches the right consistency, turn off the heat and let it rest for a few minutes.
7. Complete the Layers: In a small saucepan, melt the remaining 1/2 stick of butter. After the béchamel has rested, pour it over the meat and cheese layers, spreading it evenly. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Drizzle or spoon the melted butter over the cheese – this helps brown the top.
8. Bake: Place the pan on a baking sheet and put it in the oven. Bake for 1 hour until browned and the center is hot. If it’s not browned enough after an hour, turn on the broiler and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes, watching carefully.
9. Rest and Serve: Let the pastitsio rest for 10 minutes before cutting and serving. This helps everything set so it slices nicely.
Extra Information
- The meat sauce needs to simmer for 3 hours and is best refrigerated overnight – plan ahead!
- Assembling the pastitsio takes about 30 to 45 minutes, then it bakes for an hour.
- Use a very large pan – a 12×18 inch baking pan works great.
- You can halve the recipe for a smaller pan if needed.
- The cinnamon in the meat sauce is what makes this authentically Greek – don’t skip it!
- Kasseri is a traditional Greek cheese, but asiago or an Italian cheese blend works too.
Essential Tools
- Large pot for meat sauce
- Large pot for pasta
- Heavy-bottomed large pot for béchamel
- Very large baking pan (12×18 inches recommended)
- Baking sheet
- Whisk
- Hand mixer
- Slotted spoon