Pastitsio is the ultimate comfort food! Cheesy pasta comes together perfectly with the ground beef and creamy white sauce layer.
I just had the best day yesterday!
First of all, it was a long weekend here in Canada, so I had a very nice and relaxing day. Woke up with nothing to do but drink coffee, enjoy the sunshine and… well, I still needed to mark papers, but at least I could do it on a relaxing manner.
I also got to make a dinner takes longer to make than my typical 30 minute meals. Which, at times like these, is a real luxury for me.
Before I started dating my boyfriend, I had never heard of pastitsio. In fact, my family rarely ate meals that involved pasta. (Obviously I have changed my eating habits drastically since I moved away from home). But now, whenever we go visit my boyfriend’s parents, he always requests it.
He requests it so much in fact that his mom gave me the recipe.
I have made this recipe countless times since I got it. Do not be daunted by the long list of ingredients! This recipe is actually quite easy to make, just a lot of work to clean. Using 3 different pots doesn’t make my life with no dishwasher any easier. But it is totally worth it.
I make this recipe at least once a month, and it never disappoints. I have mixed up ingredients, forgot an ingredient, added crazy weird substitutions and each time, it still ends up tasting great. If you are looking for a no-fail comfort food recipe, you have got to try this one!
Pastitsio
Pastitsio is the ultimate comfort food! Cheesy pasta comes together perfectly with the ground beef and creamy white sauce layer.
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Ingredients
Meat Sauce
- 1 tsp salted butter
- 1.5 lbs ground beef
- 1 1/2 cups onion, diced
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground pepper
- 1/4 cup red wine (or cranberry juice)
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
White sauce
- 1/2 cup butter (or margarine)
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground pepper
- 3 cups milk of choice
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp mustard
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 large egg
Macaroni layer
- 4 cups dry macaroni
- 16 cups boiling water
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 large eggs
- 3 Tbsp butter (or margarine)
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Topping
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking pan. Set aside.
- For the Meat Sauce : In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add in the onion and ground beef, and cook until the ground beef is no longer pink. Drain the fat and return to heat. Add in the tomato sauce, salt, pepper, wine, cinnamon and nutmeg, and mix until combined. Simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside
- For the White Sauce : Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Mix in the flour, salt and pepper. Stir in the milk until it boils and thickens. Stir in the cheese and mustard. Add in the chicken broth. In a small bowl, stir some white sauce into the egg then stir all the egg into the sauce. Remove from heat and set aside.
- For the Macaroni Layer : In a medium saucepan, boil the macaroni in the water and salt until cooked. Drain. In a small bowl, beat together the eggs, butter and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Stir the mixture briskly into the macaroni.
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F.
- Assemble in layers in the prepared pan in the following order: two thirds macaroni, meat sauce, one third macaroni and white sauce. Top with the 1/2 cup Parmesan.
- Bake uncovered in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes until top in well browned.
Love this ! Look awesome and delicious !!
This sounds amazing! Something that will be wiped out by the family. Pinning it…
Like you before your BF, I, too, have never heard of Pastitsio! But see why it's a favorite – this is comfort in each spoonful! Thanks so much for sharing Cathleen!
You aren't kidding about this being comfort food. Yum! That sauce! And I'm pasta obsessed so I need to make this soon!
This sounds fantastic Cathleen! I am sure there is a way of veggie-fying this somehow 🙂 Cause I waaaaant it!
And you had such a great long weekend by the sound of things! Save the marking og course, but ach well! 🙂 x
I have never heard of pastitsio until now…love all the wonderful layers and flavours.
I l-l-love pastiitsio! And I lost my recipe, so thanks!
It looks delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
Sonia – Inglourious Bananas
I don't know about pastitsio either, but now I do! Thanks for passing along this yummy recipe.
This is something new to me. Looks amazingly delicious !
This is something for the children, I bet they would love it!
That looks so good!