[credit Google]
Greek Pastitsio recipe
(Baked Greek Lasagna with Meat Sauce and Béchamel)
– posted by Eli K. Giannopoulos

I wish all blogs had the “Reblog” option.

If you haven’t tried Greek Pastitsio (Baked Greek Lasagna) before, then you are certainly missing out! To prepare a traditional pastitsio recipe, luscious layers of juicy minced beef are cooked in a tomato based sauce, with pasta and creamy béchamel sauce and all this baked together until golden perfection.. Simply irresistible! And with this step-by-step traditional Greek pastitsio recipe you can easily recreate this traditional delight from scratch! So go ahead, indulge yourself to this little sin.

A three step, no-fail traditional Greek Pastitsio recipe!

After experimenting, we have distilled the essence of this delightful traditional Greek dish to a few easy to follow steps for you to make the very best pastitsio on your first try! 
This easy to follow Greek pastitsio recipe can be summarised in three key stages:
preparing the meat filling, preparing the creamy béchamel sauce and cooking the pasta mixture.
Each stage will require dirtying some pots and pans, but I think you will agree that the end result is well worth it! 

Greek Pastitsio recipe – Prepare the meat sauce

Greek pastitsio owes its full and rich flavour to the two aromatic spices used in this traditional pastitsio recipe, cinnamon and clove, which give a really characteristic flavour and smell. Once put in the oven, the intense aromas of the sweet spices permeates the house and brings back childhood memories.

To prepare the meat sauce for this pastitsio recipe, the ground beef is sautéed in olive oil, flavoured with onions and garlic and then simmered in red wine and tomato sauce. Let it simmer for a while to allow the flavours to mingle.

Greek Pastitsio recipe – Prepare the Béchamel sauce

To achieve the perfect texture for your béchamel sauce, add the milk (preferably lukewarm) a little bit at a time whilst constantly stirring. The perfect béchamel sauce for your pastitsio should be smooth and creamy. The key is to whisk the sauce constantly to allow each time the flour to absorb the milk, so that it doesn’t get lumpy. Cook the sauce over medium-low heat in order to prevent it from burning and sticking on the bottom of the pan, but be careful to cook it enough, until you can’t taste the flour and is thick enough.

Greek Pastitsio recipe – Prepare the pasta

The pasta base for this pastitsio recipe is mixed with Greek feta cheese and enriched with its sharp and distinctive taste. Be careful to cook the pasta for the pastitsio 2-3 minutes less than the package instructions, so that they don’t get mushy after turning out of the oven later.
Even though it will be really hard.. you should wait for the pastitsio to cool down for a while before cutting into pieces.
So go ahead, give this traditional Pastitsio recipe a try and amaze your friends and family with this extra tasty hearty dish!
(bucatini …. or similar pasta like penne , ziti, etc..)

Thank you Eli K. Giannopoulos…for the recipe sharing and the easy to follow version!