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1
Brown the Meat Sauce
25 Mins
Medium-high heat, about 190°C (375°F)
Heat the olive oil in a large pan and brown the beef, breaking it up with a spoon, for 6–8 minutes until no pink remains. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until soft, then the garlic, cinnamon, oregano and tomato paste, and cook for 2 more minutes until fragrant. Pour in the wine, let it bubble for 1 minute, then add the tomatoes and salt. Simmer gently for 15 minutes until thick and rich.
Brown the meat properly before adding anything wet — grey, steamed mince makes a pale, flat sauce.
Done when: The sauce is thick, dark and rich, with the oil just starting to separate at the edges.
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2
Cook the Pasta
10 Mins
Boiling water, 100°C (212°F)
While the sauce simmers, cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water for 2 minutes less than the packet time — it should be firm and slightly underdone. Drain, toss with half the parmesan and a knob of the butter, and set aside.
Undercooking is deliberate: the pasta finishes in the oven, and fully cooked pasta turns to mush.
Done when: The pasta is firm to the bite and lightly coated in cheese.
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3
Make the Bechamel
15 Mins
Medium heat, about 160°C (320°F)
Melt the rest of the butter in a medium pan, stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring, until it smells nutty. Take the pan off the heat and whisk in the warm milk a little at a time until smooth, then return to the heat and stir constantly for 5–7 minutes until the sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon. Season with salt and nutmeg, take off the heat, and whisk in the beaten eggs and a handful of parmesan.
Add the milk slowly and whisk the whole time — dumping it in at once is how lumps happen.
Done when: The sauce is thick, smooth and glossy, and coats the back of a spoon.
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4
Layer the Dish
5 Mins
Room temperature, about 20°C (68°F)
Heat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Spread half the pasta in the buttered dish and press it flat, spoon over all the meat sauce and level it, then cover with the rest of the pasta. Pour the bechamel over the top and spread it to the edges so it seals the layers underneath, then scatter with the remaining parmesan.
Sealing the bechamel to the edges of the dish stops the pasta drying out in the oven.
Done when: Three even layers: pasta, meat sauce, pasta, then a smooth bechamel blanket on top.
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5
Bake Until Golden
40 Mins
180°C (350°F)
Bake for 35–40 minutes, until the top is deep gold and puffed, and the sauce bubbles at the edges. If the top colours too fast, cover it loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes. Rest for 15 minutes before slicing — this is what lets you cut clean squares.
Resting is not optional: a pastitsio cut straight from the oven collapses into a puddle.
Done when: The top is deep gold and set, the edges bubble, and a knife cut holds its shape.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Rest the pastitsio for 15 minutes, then cut into generous squares and serve hot, with a Greek salad and crusty bread on the side.
Greece
2h
