Everyday Kitchen

Greek · Dinner

Pastitsio

Draft recipe — not kitchen-tested
Non-vegEasy

Diet: Non-veg · High-protein

Pastitsio is a Greek dish. Undercook pasta slightly before its oven stage.

Prep
30 min
Cook
70 min
Rest, soak, marinate or chill
15 min
Total
115 min
Servings
6
Difficulty
Easy
Cuisine
Greek
Course
Dinner

Estimated times for the original batch. Preparation, cooking and listed waiting time are included. Batch cooking can take longer.

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Representative photograph of Pastitsio.
Representative photograph of Pastitsio. Garnishes and presentation may differ. This is not a tested result of this draft. Photo credit and licence
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Ingredients

Metric weights use grams. US weights use ounces; liquids use fluid ounces. Conversions are rounded. Spoon measures use 5 ml teaspoons and 15 ml tablespoons; cups use 240 ml.

Serves 6

Choose any positive whole number of servings. Ingredients and measured amounts in steps scale together. Times, temperatures and equipment stay unchanged. For larger yields, cook separate original-size batches. Counted ingredients can become fractions; beat eggs before dividing them. Fixed correction-water checks remain fixed.

Pasta

Meat

Sauce

Equipment

Kitchen scales; measuring jug and spoons; knife; cutting board; mixing bowls; oven; baking tray; oven gloves; saucepan with lid; sieve; heavy frying pan; spatula; food thermometer; whisk or electric mixer; heatproof spoon; spatula.

Check all product labels and cross-contact. Diet groups describe this listed draft, not every substitution.

Steps

Pasta · About 2 min

  1. Boil 350 g tubular pasta, 2500 ml water, 1 tsp salt 2 minutes less than packet time; drain.

Meat · About 20 min

  1. Heat oil from 25 ml olive oil, 500 g minced beef, 150 g onion, chopped, 500 g passata, ½ tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp salt; fry beef and onion 8 minutes. Add remaining ingredients; simmer 20 minutes.

Bake · About 40 min

  1. Make a white sauce with butter, flour and milk from 50 g butter, 50 g plain flour, 600 ml milk, 2 eggs, 80 g hard cheese. Cool 5 minutes, whisk in eggs and cheese. Layer pasta, meat and sauce; bake at 180°C / 350°F for 40 minutes to 74°C / 165°F. Rest 15 minutes.

    Check: The food must be hot through at 74°C / 165°F.

Tips

  • Undercook pasta slightly before its oven stage.
  • Use the texture and doneness checks in the method; cooking times depend on your pan and heat.

Substitutions

  • Use short macaroni if long tubular pasta is unavailable.

Storage

  • Refrigerate perishable food within two hours, or within one hour in heat above 32°C / 90°F. Store covered at 4°C / 40°F or below. Use within two days for this draft.
  • Reheat cooked dishes to 74°C / 165°F, stirring or turning for even heating. Serve cold salads, dips and chilled desserts directly from safe refrigeration.
  • For sauces and soups, add a little water if thick and reheat gently. Crisp coatings soften after storage.

Make ahead

  • Prepare the measured ingredients for Pastitsio one day ahead. Refrigerate chopped vegetables and other perishable ingredients separately; complete the staged cooking on the serving day.

FAQ

What matters most when making Pastitsio?

Undercook pasta slightly before its oven stage.

What can I substitute in Pastitsio?

Use short macaroni if long tubular pasta is unavailable.

Can I prepare Pastitsio ahead?

Prepare the measured ingredients for Pastitsio one day ahead. Refrigerate chopped vegetables and other perishable ingredients separately; complete the staged cooking on the serving day.

Food safety references

FoodSafety.gov: cooking temperatures · Food Standards Agency: rice storage and reheating

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