Looking for the ultimate comfort dish with a Greek twist? This irresistible Greek pasta casserole (pastitsio) combines tender rigatoni, rich beef ragù, and a silky béchamel that melts in your mouth. Whether you’re cooking for family or impressing guests, it’s a crowd-pleaser baked to perfection.

Recipe: Greek pasta casserole, known as pastitsio

Ingredients

FOR THE PASTA

500 g pasta (rigatoni, coralli, or short macaroni)
Salt
3–4 tbsp kefalotyri cheese (for the crust)

FOR THE MEAT SAUCE

700 g ground beef
4 tbsp olive oil
1 slice bacon (optional)
1 clove garlic
1 medium onion
1 stalk celery
2 carrots
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/4 cup cognac
1 can chopped or grated tomatoes
1/2 cup water
1 bay leaf
1/2 stick cinnamon
Salt
Pepper

FOR THE EASY BÉCHAMEL SAUCE

1,250 g milk
125 g corn flour (6 tbsp)
2 tbsp butter
2 beaten eggs (optional)
Salt
1 pinch nutmeg
1/2 cup kefalotyri cheese

Equipment

Pot
Baking dish

Instructions

MEAT SAUCE
Start by finely chopping the bacon, garlic, onion, carrot, and celery in a blender (or by hand).
Heat olive oil in a pot and brown the ground beef for 3–4 minutes on each side until cooked.
Add all the chopped ingredients and stir to soften them for a few minutes.
Add the tomato paste and sauté it, stirring and rubbing it into the bottom of the pot for 1 minute.
Deglaze with cognac and let the alcohol evaporate.
Add the tomatoes (fresh or canned) and 1/2 cup water.
Cover the pot, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer for 30 minutes without letting the sauce dry out.
The meat sauce should be juicy and rich. Toward the end, add the bay leaf and cinnamon and season with salt and pepper. The sauce should remain quite juicy, so you may need to add a bit of hot water or stock.
Let the herbs infuse for 5 minutes, then remove them.

EASY BÉCHAMEL SAUCE
Place all the ingredients in a pot cold (except the eggs). Stir frequently over medium-high heat until the mixture boils and thickens.
Once the béchamel has boiled, remove from heat. Let cool for 5–6 minutes, then add the beaten eggs and cheese.
Stir vigorously with a whisk to blend the eggs quickly into the cream.

ASSEMBLY
Boil the pasta in salted water 2–3 minutes less than the package instructions. Drain.
Add the rigatoni to the meat sauce along with half the béchamel and cheese. Stir to coat the pasta, then transfer to a buttered 25×38 cm baking dish or oven-safe dish.
Don’t worry if the sauces are a bit runny — the pasta will absorb them and turn out perfect. Pour over the remaining béchamel and use a fork to gently mix it into the pasta.
Unlike traditional pastitsio, this version isn’t layered — the béchamel fills the rigatoni holes and creates a burst of flavor with every bite.
Sprinkle the entire surface with the 3 tablespoons of kefalotyri and bake in a preheated convection oven at 180–200 ºC (350–390 ºF) for 30 minutes on the middle rack, until a light crust forms.
It won’t cut into clean pieces while hot — serve with a ladle while the cream is still flowing.
For a softer, more wobbly béchamel, add 1 more cup of milk to the mixture.

TIPS

Boil the pasta 2 minutes less than instructed.

The meat sauce should be juicy.

All ingredients for the béchamel must be cold, not warm.

You can skip the eggs or use only two yolks.

Use any tubular pasta.

Optional: 2 slices of finely chopped bacon in the meat sauce will elevate the flavor.

If the meat sauce dries out too quickly, add a bit of hot water.