Ina Garten's Pastitsio

Pasta baked with a rich tomato meat sauce, cheesy bechamel, and Parmesan cheese for a comforting meal perfecting for entertaining.

Traditionally Pastitsio is a pasta dish layered with meat, tomato sauce, pasta, and a creamy bechamel. It’s baked together to form a lasagna and has a distinct flavor with the help of a little cinnamon. 

In this recipe we bend the traditional ways a bit by combining together the sauce, meat, and pasta, then layering with bechamel & cheese for a pasta bake kinda like you would baked ziti.

Ingredients:

For the Meat Sauce

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 pound lean ground lamb (can substitute for pork)
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 large cloves)
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1 can (28 ounces) San Marzano tomatoes
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Bechamel

• 2 1/2 cups low-fat milk
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan, divided
• 2/3 cup Greek yogurt
• 3/4 pound small shells, preferably ziti noodles

Ina Garten's Pastitsio

Instructions

For the Meat Sauce

1. In a large pot, preferably a Dutch Oven, add the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes or until soft. Add the ground beef and lamb and continue to cook for 10 minutes, crumbling with a spoon, until no longer pink.
2. Drain any excess liquid and add the wine. Cook for 2-3 minutes until almost all of the wine has absorbed.
3. Add the garlic, cinnamon, oregano, thyme, and cayenne, and allow to cook 5 minutes to incorporate the flavors.
4. Add the tomatoes, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Crush the tomatoes with a spoon if needed. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 40-45 minutes. Set aside until needed.

For the Bechamel

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Melt the butter over medium heat in a small sauce pan. Stir in the flour using a wooden spoon and allow to cook for 2 minutes until you no longer smell raw flour (or until you only smell butter).
3. Add the milk while whisking constantly. Increase the heat to a simmer, and continue to stir frequently until the milk has thickened enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 7-8 minutes. Once smooth and thick, add the nutmeg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Season to taste and adjust if needed. Stir in 3/4 cup of Parmesan cheese. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for ten minutes. Stir in the Greek yogurt and set aside.
4. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water just until al dente. It is okay if it is still hard, as it still has to bake in the oven. Drain and stir into the tomato-meat sauce. Pour the mixture into a 9x13 lasagna baking dish. Evenly spread over the bechamel, then sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
5. Optional: add shredded mozzarella in addition to the Parmesan on the final layer before baking.
6. Bake for 45-60 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. If any ingredients are made ahead of time, this may need a full hour to completely heat through.
7. Enjoy!