Description
A classic Greek baked pasta made with tubular pasta, warmly spiced beef tomato sauce, and a rich creamy bechamel topping baked until golden.
Ingredients
Scale
- 450 g bucatini or penne
- 110 g feta cheese, crumbled
- 2 egg whites
- 900 g lean ground beef
- 2 medium red onions, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 400 g canned chopped tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 150 ml red wine
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 whole clove
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 teaspoons sea salt, or to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
- 120 g plain flour
- 120 g butter
- 1000 ml whole milk, warmed
- 2 egg yolks
- 50 g Kefalotyri or Parmesan, grated
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- 50 g extra grated Kefalotyri or Parmesan, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, 180°C. Lightly grease a deep 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, and ground beef, then cook until browned.
- Pour in the red wine and let it reduce slightly. Add the chopped tomatoes, sugar, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, clove, sea salt, and black pepper. Simmer for about 30 minutes until the sauce is thick. Remove the bay leaf, cinnamon stick, and clove.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta 2 to 3 minutes less than the package directions. Drain well, then mix with the feta and egg whites.
- In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour to form a paste. Gradually whisk in the warmed milk until smooth and thickened.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat. Whisk in the egg yolks, the 50 g grated Kefalotyri or Parmesan, the nutmeg, and a little extra salt if needed.
- Spread the pasta evenly in the prepared baking dish. Spoon the meat sauce over the pasta and smooth it into an even layer. Spread the bechamel over the top.
- Sprinkle with the remaining 50 g grated Kefalotyri or Parmesan.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until golden on top. Let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Cook the pasta slightly under so it stays tender after baking.
- Keep the meat sauce thick so the layers hold together better.
- Warm the milk before adding it to the roux for a smoother bechamel.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 square
- Calories: 724
- Sugar: 11.1 g
- Sodium: 607.6 mg
- Fat: 30.7 g
- Saturated Fat: 14.6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14.1 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 63.2 g
- Fiber: 3.1 g
- Protein: 44.5 g
- Cholesterol: 169.6 mg
Keywords: pastitsio, greek baked pasta, greek lasagna, beef pasta casserole, bechamel pasta bake