Pastitsio Recipe (Greek Lasagne)

This Pastitsio recipe is my easy version with some clever tricks to get it on the table faster than other pastitsio recipes, but it's just as delicious.

I’ve been wanting to make a 30 minute Pastitsio recipe for aaaaages, but I wasn’t quite sure how to cut it down to the 30 minute mark. I played with the idea of using mashed potato as the topping, but it seemed too much like moussaka, and too much of a departure from your traditional pastitsio recipe, not to mention too many carbs - I mean I love carbs, but even I’ll admit that potato on pasta is excessive. 

I played around with a few ideas and I’ve come up with, what I believe, is the easiest and tastiest 30 minute Pastitsio you’ll find. Is it the traditional, authentic way of making pastitsio? Not by a long measure. But is it delicious? Hell yeah!

What is Pastitsio?

Often referred to as Greek Lasagne, it’s a hearty and comforting pasta bake which has a layer of tightly packed macaroni pasta (or other cylindrical pasta), topped with meat sauce and then a thick layer of creamy cheesy bechamel topping. It’s striking because when you cut a slice you can see the stacks of pasta holes sitting under the meat sauce and cheese.

What makes this Pastitsio recipe easier than other pastitsio recipes?

I use a few clever tricks to make this Pastitsio easier and faster than your regular pastitsio recipe. Forget hours in the kitchen, this one can be whipped up after a long day, no trouble.

1. Bechamel sauce usually tops this dish, but we’ll replace it with a mixture of cream cheese, parmesan cheese, egg yolk and nutmeg. This saves on cooking time and washing up, as you don’t have to stand over the stove making a bechamel sauce.
2. Pastitsio meat sauce is thick, not saucy, and usually requires long cooking time to reduce liquid down to a thicker sauce. Instead I used herbs, spices, tomato paste concentrate and… VEGEMITE to give the lamb depth of flavour without slow cooking. Yes, Vegemite. You read that right. Just 2 teaspoons of vegemite will give you a rich, deep, umami flavour you need. If you can’t find Vegemite you can always use a beef stock cube.
3. Hot Oven - most Pastitsio recipes suggest you wait for your sauce to cool, then place in the oven. We won’t do that, mainly because I didn’t, and it worked fine.

How do you get the pasta to line up in this Pastitsio recipe?

The short answer - I don't!

A lot of recipes call for you to use Ziti, which is a Greek pasta kind of like a mix between macaroni and penne. It is straight, and that means that to get the stack of cylinders you have to line the pasta up neatly.

Instead I suggest a curly pasta like macaroni or cavatappi, as the spirals lock together when you press them down. We’ll also mix through the egg white and this will help the pasta hold together when you are slicing it.

What is the difference between moussaka and pastitsio?

Moussaka is made by layering eggplant, lamb and has a mashed potato topping, while pastitsio is made by layering pasta, lamb mince and cheese, and is more similar to lasagne than moussaka. The flavours are different to lasagne though, Pastitsio uses lamb mince instead of beef or veal in lasagne, and uses cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice.

Substitutions

• Alternative proteins - You can swap lamb for beef mince. I haven’t tried it with chicken mince but it could be quite nice - just different.
• Vegetarian - Use beyond beef, Quorn mince or lentils in place of lamb mince.
• Gluten Free - Use gluten free pasta spirals, gluten free Vegemite and gluten free Worcestershire sauce.
• Dairy Free - Instead of a cream cheese layer, skip the cheesy top and sprinkle over dairy free shredded parmesan instead. This will mean you have a thinner layer of cheese, but it will still be delicious.

Kid-Friendly Variations

• This recipe is made for kids - no need to make changes.

Equipment

You will need a large pot, a stovetop, a frying pan, a baking dish, an oven.

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