Greek
Pastitsio
Tubular pasta baked with spiced beef tomato sauce and kefalotyri beneath a puffed bechamel crust.
8 servings · 45 minutes prep · 85 minutes cook
Ingredients
Pasta
- 1 lb pastitsio pasta or bucatini
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 large egg whites
- 1/2 cup grated kefalotyri or graviera
Meat Sauce
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 lb ground beef
- 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 3/4 cup dry red wine
- 1 1/2 cups crushed tomatoes
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Bechamel
- 7 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 1/2 cups whole milk, warmed
- 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 3 large egg yolks
- 3/4 cup grated kefalotyri or graviera
Directions
Cook the Meat Sauce
- Brown the ground beef in the extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high heat, breaking it up well, 8-10 minutes. Add the yellow onion and cook until soft, about 8 minutes.
- Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Add the dry red wine and reduce by half.
- Add the tomato, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, ground cloves, kosher salt, and black pepper. Simmer until thick and the meat reaches {{temperature:160°F}}, about 30 minutes, then discard the cinnamon stick and bay leaf.
Prepare the Pasta
- Boil the pastitsio pasta or bucatini in salted water until just shy of al dente. Drain, toss with the unsalted butter, and cool for 5 minutes.
- Toss the pasta with the egg whites and kefalotyri or graviera.
Make the Béchamel
- Melt the unsalted butter in a saucepan. Whisk in the all-purpose flour and cook for 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the warm whole milk and simmer until thick, 7-9 minutes. Season with the nutmeg and kosher salt.
- Off heat, temper the egg yolks with hot béchamel, whisk back in, and stir in 1/2 cup grated kefalotyri or graviera.
Assemble, Bake, and Rest
- Heat the oven to {{temperature:375°F}}. Arrange the pasta straight in a buttered 9 by 13 inch baking dish. Spread the meat sauce over the pasta, then cover with bechamel.
- Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup kefalotyri or graviera. Bake until puffed, browned, set, and the center reaches {{temperature:165°F}}, 45-50 minutes.
- Rest for 25 minutes before slicing.
