Pastitsio – with layers of pasta, a rich cinnamon-spiked red wine meat sauce, topped with a thick layer of cheese sauce, this is Greece’s answer to Italian Lasagna. Let the fun begin!

Pastitsio – Greek pasta bake
Pastitsio is so much more than just another pasta bake. A step up from Baked Spaghetti and – dare I say it – even America’s famed Baked Ziti (which regular readers know I hold in high esteem!), this is Greece’s version of classic Italian Lasagna.
We love how it slices neatly with the layers clearly visible, and the striking tubular Greek bucatini-style pasta.
We love how the rich red wine, tomato and meat sauce is spiked with cinnamon and cloves, giving it uniquely Greek personality rather than “just another meat sauce”.
And we (Cheese Monsters in particular) love the extra thick, cheesy Béchamel sauce topping. The Greek’s have not skimped on any element here. It’s all about abundance!

What you need for Pastitsio
There are 3 parts to Pastitsio:
Feta-tossed pasta;
Greek meat sauce – Like Bolognese sauce, but thicker and scented with cinnamon and cloves which you also see in Greek Moussaka; and
Greek Béchamel Sauce – Thickly laid and thicker set than you traditionally see in things like Italian Lasagna.
Feta toss pasta Greek meat sauce Thick Greek Béchamel
1. Feta-tossed pasta – Thick bucatini
The unique thing about the pasta layer of Pastitsio is the feta cheese tossed through it (yum!) and the addition of egg whites. Feta adds flavour while the egg binds the pasta together so you can cut neat slices, as pictured above.

1.1 Ingredients for the Pastitsio pasta layer
Here’s what you need for the pasta layer:


Greek bucatini
The pasta traditionally used in Pastitsio is a thick bucatini-style pasta called “Pastitsio pasta No. 2”, pictured below. It’s a tubular pasta – like a really thick spaghetti with a hole running through it. However it’s thicker than Italian bucatini , such as bucatini used in this Zucchini pasta.
Where to find Greek bucatini-style Pastitsio pasta No. 2
You’ll find Greek Pastitsio Pasta No. 2 at European delis and grocers around Sydney. I found the Misko brand (pictured) at a fruit & veg store in Top Ryde (Sydney) which has a good stock of European goods.
Can’t find Pastitsio pasta?
Honestly, don’t get too hung up about it. Use ziti or penne instead if you want it to look similar when you cut it. Otherwise, ordinary Italian bucatini – sold in the pasta aisle of everyday supermarkets these days – or really, any pasta is just fine. It won’t alter flavour, just how it looks!
2. Pastitsio meat sauce
Making the meat sauce is really no different to making your favourite Spaghetti Bolognese. It’s very straight forward! But there’s two important differences:
Cinnamon and clove – As used in traditional Greek Moussaka, a subtle perfume from these spices is what makes the meat sauce Greek, rather than a generic Bolognese; and
Thicker meat sauce – The sauce is much thicker than Bolognese Sauce. This is intentional so it sits comfortably above the pasta layer, rather than trickling down through it. This is how you get the neat layers!

Here’s what you need for the meat sauce layer:

No boat-rockers amongst the above ingredients. Red onion is often preferred in Greek cooking rather than the typical brown/yellow onions.
And as noted above, the added spices that make this a Pastitsio meat sauce rather than an Italian-style one are cinnamon and cloves.
2.2 How to make Pastitsio meat sauce
As for making it, just pretend you’re making Bolognese! Unlike Bolognese however where a long and slow cooking can be optional, the Pastitsio meat sauce needs to be simmered for a good hour to reduce the sauce so it’s really thick.
This makes the meat sauce sit on the pasta, rather than mixing through the pasta layer, so you get distinct and tidy layers. The added bonus is that the longer simmering time makes the beef super-tender and really intensifies the sauce flavours.

Tip: Cool meat sauce before use
If time permits, let the meat sauce cool before layering over the pasta. It thickens and holds together even more when cooled first, providing even better visual definition between the pasta and meat sauce layers when you slice it, as pictured in the photos in this post.
In fact, if you can make it the day before and leave it overnight in the fridge, the flavour also gets even better!
3. Greek Béchamel Sauce
The Greek Béchamel sauce used in Pastitsio differs from the typical white sauce you see on things like Lasagna:
Thicker layer – About twice the volume used in typical Lasagna. No complaints over here, I’m personally a big fan of lots of cheese white sauce!
More set – It’s set almost like a custard that you can cut through, as opposed to being creamy like Béchamel typically is. It’s thickened using a combination of a slightly higher flour-to-liquid ratio, as well as the use of egg yolks (which also enriches the sauce beautifully!)

3.1 What goes in Pastitsio Béchamel sauce
Here’s what you need to make the Pastitsio Béchamel sauce:

Butter, flour and milk – All the usual suspects you need to make a basic Béchamel / white sauce;
Kefalotyri Cheese – A traditional Greek cheese made from sheep or goat’s milk. It tastes somewhat like parmesan but is not as salty or sharp. More on Kefalotyri below. Sold at Woolworths and Coles in Australia, or European/Greek delis. But don’t go out of your way to hunt it down. Readily-available cheeses like Parmesan or Romano make perfectly acceptable substitutes (*she ducks as 10 million Greeks throw rotten tomatoes at her*);
Nutmeg – A classic inclusion with Béchamel, but not the end of the world if you don’t have it. Freshly ground best, if you have it; and
Egg yolks – This helps the Béchamel Sauce set better so the thick layer holds its shape when you cut slices.
The egg whites are used separately for the pasta, acting as a “glue” to hold the pasta together when you slice it. Full visual effect!
Kefalotyri Greek cheese
Grates like parmesan
This is a firm, traditional Greek cheese made from sheep or goat’s milk. It’s used to top the Pastitsio to give it a delicious golden crust as well as stirring through the Béchamel Sauce to give it flavour.
Kefalotyri cheese is a hard cheese with a salty, savoury and piquant taste, similar to Parmesan. However it’s not as salty as parmesan.
Believe it or not, these days it’s available at Woolworths and Coles in Australia! 🙌🏻 Pictured below.
Best substitutes (in order): Kefalograviera (a related, hard Greek cheese), pecorino, Parmesan, Romano.

Use leftover Kefalotyri to make Saganaki!
What to do with your leftover Kefalotyri? Make saganaki, a popular melted cheese Greek appetiser! Cut leftover Kefalotyri into 1.5cm / 1/2″ slices, dust with flour then pan fry in olive oil until golden on the outside, melted inside. Squeeze over a bit of lemon, serve with bread for. It’s AMAZING. You can thank me later…!! 😉
3.2 How to make Pastitsio Béchamel sauce
Here’s how to make the Pastitsio white sauce:

Make a roux – Melt butter, then add the flour and cook it out for a minute. Slowly add the milk in while stirring – this is how you can make a lump-free Béchamel sauce without having to use a whisk! The trick is to make a “paste” first, then add the rest of the milk that the paste easily dissolves into.
Lumpy sauce? Don’t worry! Just give it a good whisk and it will smoothen out.
Cook until thickened – Stir over a medium heat until the sauce thickens, and won’t thicken any further. The thickness test: The sauce should fully coat the back of a spoon and when you draw a path across with your finger it doesn’t disappear;
Flavourings – Stir in cheese and nutmeg. The cheese will also thicken the sauce slightly more;
Egg yolks – Remove sauce from the stove and let it cool for a few minutes. Then whisk the egg yolks in. Make sure you mix straight away once you add the yolks otherwise they may scramble in the sauce!!
Done! While warm, the sauce should be pourable but quite thick, like pictured. Cover with a lid and keep warm until required. If it goes cold, it will get too thick to pour. If that happens just reheat it over a low heat until it becomes pourable again.
4. Assembly!
You need a BIG casserole dish for Pastitsio! A typical 9 x 13″ pan won’t cut it, it’s not deep enough. My baking dish is 33 x 22 x 7 cm / 9 x 13 x 2.75″.

The next steps, along with some tips I figured out through trial and error:
Pasta direction – Lay out the pasta so they are (mostly) in one direction if you want the visual effect of the pasta holes when you cut it, as pictured in the photos in this post;
Cool meat sauce – A cool meat sauce will make the layers more distinct. Because it’s thicker and more emulsified, it sits on top of the pasta rather than seeping down through it. It also provides a firmer bed onto which the Pastitsio white sauce is poured, helping that layer also stay distinct;
White Sauce – Pour over and spread. If your white sauce cooled down and is too thick to pour, just reheat gently on a low stove until it’s pourable;
Grate over Kefalotyri (or parmesan if you can’t find it) – then bake until the top is golden; and
Rest for 15 minutes before cutting to serve. The longer it stands, the better it will hold its shape when cut. If you want really neat slices, make it the day before – reheat in the baking dish then cut!


What to serve with Pastitsio
I can’t think of anything more appropriate than a big, fat juicy Greek Salad on the side! This traditional salad is a lovely, refreshing contrast to the richness of Pastitsio.
But here are a few more side salads that I think will also go really well with Pastitsio:
Enjoy! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Pastitsio (Greek Pasta Bake)
Ingredients
Meat Sauce:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves , finely minced
- 2 red onions , finely chopped (sub yellow or brown onions)
- 1 kg / 2 lb beef mince (ground beef)
- 3/4 cup red wine , dry (Note 1)
- 800g / 28 oz canned crushed tomato
- 2 beef bouillon cubes , crumbled (stock cubes)
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp white sugar
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1 cinnamon stick (or extra 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder)
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
Greek Bechamel:
- 100g / 7 tbsp butter , unsalted
- 3/4 cup flour , plain/all purpose
- 1 litre / 4 cups milk , whole/full fat best but low fat ok
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg , preferably freshly grated
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 100g / 3 oz Kefalotyri Greek cheese (sub Parmesan or Romano) , finely shredded (Note 2)
- 2 egg yolks (egg whites are used in the pasta)
Pasta:
- 400g / 14 oz Pastitsio No. 2 pasta / Greek bucatini (sub small ziti, penne or normal bucatini, Note 3)
- 120g / 4 oz feta , crumbled
- 2 egg whites (yolks used in Béchamel)
Topping:
- 75g / 3 oz Kefalotyri Greek cheese (sub parmesan or Romano) , finely grated (Note 2)
Instructions
Meat Sauce:
- Heat in a large pot over high heat. Add garlic and onion, cook for 2 – 3 minutes until onion is softened. Add beef and cook, breaking it up as you go, until it changes from red to brown.
- Add wine and and cook until the wine has mostly evaporated – about 3 minutes.
- Add remaining Meat Sauce ingredients. Stir well, bring to simmer, then reduce heat to medium / medium low so it's simmering gently. Cook for 45 min to 1 hour until liquid is mostly gone, stirring every now and then. It should be a thick mixture with little liquid, not saucy like Spaghetti Bolognese (Note 4).
- Remove from stove and cool. Preferably to room temperature, otherwise for at least 30 minutes before assembling (lid off).
Greek Béchamel (Note 5):
- Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and stir for 1 minute.
- While stirring, slowly pour half the milk in. It should turn into a wet paste. Then again, while stirring, pour in remaining milk – the paste should easily dissolve so it's lump-free. If not, just whisk vigorously.
- Cook, stirring so the base doesn't catch, for 5 minutes or until thick enough so it coats the back of a wooden spoon thickly and you can draw a path across it with your finger.
- Remove from stove. Stir in nutmeg, cheese and salt.
- Leave to cool for 5 minutes. Then whisk in egg yolks quickly. Place lid on and set aside. If sauce cools and gets too thick to pour, just reheat on a low stove until pourable.
Pasta (Note 6):
- When you're ready to assemble, cook the pasta per packet instructions, minus 1 minute.
- Drain, then return to the pot. Leave to cool for 3 minutes, then stir through egg whites. Gently stir through crumbled feta.
Assemble and bake:
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (all oven types).
- Place pasta in a baking dish (33 x 22 x 7 cm / 9 x 13 x 2.75"), arranging them so they are all going in the same direction as best you can (for visual effect when sliced). Make the surface as level as you can.
- Top with Meat Sauce, then smooth the surface.
- Pour over Béchamel Sauce, then sprinkle over the cheese.
- Bake 30 min or until crust turns golden.
- Cool for at least 10 minutes so you can cut neat slices with tdhe layers neatly visible. Serve!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
10 more delicious Greek recipes
Life of Dozer
A familiar vision – rear view of Dozer’s rump bounding into the water.

Hi,
Making the meat sauce right now. You did not mention if you cooked the meat sauce covered, but I assume so, since I see a lid in one of the pictures
This is one of my favourites dishes and this recipe took it to the next level.
Best Pastitsio I’ve ever made, best I’ve ever had. Truly perfected this one. Even my Greek dad was curious where my new recipe was from!
Hi Nagi,
I have enjoyed your recipes, and I love the pastitsio recipe.
I have a question: Can I make it the night before (put it all together), refrigerate it, and cook it the next day?
Second time cooking this because was so great the first. Do your prep b4 you get started with each step. Having everything measured out really helps with timing when adding ingredients. Cant find Greek cheese locally so used a mix of Romano and parmesan. Huge casserole so after the first meal, I refrigerated overnight, cut into large squares, wrapped each in foil and froze. We had 2 more meals whenever we wanted.
Hi Nagi,
This is the second time I have made this but the first time I watched the video. I notice in the video you cover the sauce with a lid but you don’t mention it in the recipe notes. I have made it both times without the lid as I would think it would retain too much liquid if left covered. Can you let me know which is right? Thanks.
This is just so good. My go-to recipe when I’ve got some milk that needs using up. I do half the recipe as there are just two of us and it gives us 2 or 3 good meals. I couldn’t get kefalotyri cheese so used a good pecorino romano. Used penne pasta. Otherwise “as written” and wouldn’t change a thing. For some reason the meat sauce gave off a lot of oil this time, so I blotted as much as I could with paper towels to get a fairly dry consistency. It’s a keeper!
If you’re making half the recipe you’ll need an approximately 7 x 8″ pan. I like that the various components, like the bechamel, can be made in advance, so it’s easier to put the dish together on serving day.
Love, love, love this recipe! I made it tonight for dinner, and my family and our guests loved it!
O-M-G! I just made this and it is fantastic! I made the sauce the night before so the flavors would meld together, which made it less time-consuming to complete the next day. I also used the amounts for “4 servings” and it filled a 9×13 pan. Another winner, Nagi and Dozer!
Followed this recipe exactly, and the only thing I would change in future is to not attempt it on a weeknight after work. Everyone loved it, even my picky teenager. I paired it with a quick salad made with fresh tomatoes, onion, cucumber, peppers, and feta. Leftovers will be served with garlic bread.
I absolutely loved cooking & eating this recipe. The flavours were mouth watering & it was a complete hit with the whole family. I agree, a big dish is advisable because my dish didn’t quite squeeze it all in so I had to attempt to transfer the meat and pasta carefully into a 2nd dish! It was stressful but it meant I had a dish for the day and me for the freeze! The quantity also allowed for some left over work meals 🙂
This is an amazing recipe that I have now made twice and will forever be in my repertoire. Don’t tell my mom but I think it’s better than here. Everything is perfect, super authentic and a huge crowd pleaser.
This recipe is amazing! The flavour is outstanding. Next time I will have more patience and layer the pasta better but it still looked good randomly layered. I drained the meat sauce and it worked beautifully. As good as or, dare I say, better than our favourite Greek restaurant.
This is a delicious recipe but I’m wondering if there is supposed to be 2 cups of water with the 2 stock cubes because there’s not enough liquid in the tomatoes alone to cook the mince for 45 minutes to an hour?
Just made this tonight and was very happy with it. I made half the recipe, with just a bit more pasta (225 grams) but everything else as written. Baked in (I think) a 3 qt casserole, well sprayed with cooking spray otherwise I think the pasta would have stuck. Do check your pasta before draining to make sure it’s not too firm – I find the time on the bag is always an understatement. My casserole needed another 10 minutes baking time and I turned the temperature up to 375F. I let it sit for a good 5 minutes out of the oven (next time would let it sit longer) and while it did not come out in nice slices, each element was sufficiently distinct. Leftovers were much firmer by the time I transferred them to storage containers after dinner. Half the recipe made 6 decent portions – with a salad it made a nice dinner and will be another couple of meals for my husband and me. For company, if you were serving a starter and maybe also some bread, half the recipe would be fine for 6 people. The full recipe would feed a crowd as part of a buffet or potluck offering. Will definitely make this again.
Delicious even though mine didn’t turn out like the picture because I found the pasta variety, but not the correct number it was still layered . Was a very easy recipe to make which was a plus
I went to Crete and came pack with a packet of Misko for this! I made a 4-person version and had to do some last-minute jiggery pokery to come up with the right sized dish as as soon as I put the pasta in, I knew it wouldn’t all fit.
The recipe worked perfectly, kept its shape and tasted divine. Using the rest of the packet tonight for a second one, then it’s up to London to find more Misko, as this is a keeper and seem far less hassle than lasagne.
Thank you Nagi for another amazing recipe. Turned out perfect on the first attempt and was absolutely delicious. I can see this being a favorite for a long time.
Just finished eating this today! Soo delicious, the only thing we added was a tsp of oregano to make it taste closer to our grandmother’s version.