Greek Pastitsio, Step By Step Guide: Easy, Delicious, Comfort Food

Greek Pastitsio, Step By Step Guide: Easy, Delicious, Comfort Food

Join me as I take you on a culinary journey to Greece with this delicious Pastitsio recipe. In this video, I’ll show you how to make everything from scratch, including a rich tomato meat sauce, a creamy bechamel sauce, and the unique blend of spices that make this dish truly special. Whether you’re a seasoned chef or a kitchen newbie, you’ll find this step-by-step guide easy to follow and incredibly rewarding.

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
00:35 Ragu Sauce
03:32 Bechamel sauce
05:43 Pasta
06:13 Separate & Temper Eggs
07:46 Pasta Base
08:44 Assembly
10:23 Finished Dish

Recipe:
½ lb bucatini (or similar shape pasta)
2 egg whites
4 oz Kefalotyri Greek cheese (or parmesan cheese)
Olive oil

Tomato Meat Sauce:
½ large white onion
4-6 garlic cloves
½ lb ground pork
½ lb ground beef
½-1 tsp salt
½ cup red wine
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes
½ cup water
1 tsp black pepper
½ tsp cinnamon

Bechamel Sauce:
½ butter
¾ cup AP flour
3 cups whole milk
1 tsp salt
¼ – ½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp ground nutmeg
2 egg yolks

Steps:
1. Sauté onion for 4 minutes in olive oil, add garlic, sauté 2 minutes longer (or until golden brown on the edges)
2. Add meat(s) to the pan, break up fine, season with salt, and sauté until golden brown 10-15 minutes
3. Deglaze pan with red wine, cook for 3-4 minutes
4. Add tomato paste, cook for 3-4 minutes
5. Add tomatoes, water, pepper, cinnamon, cook 15-20 minutes or until reduced and thick in consistency
6. Make a roux from butter and flour, cook until golden brown 7-12 minutes
7. Add milk and seasonings
8. Cook pasta according to package to be al dente (don’t overcook pasta)
9. Temper egg yolks and add to bechamel sauce
10. Toss pasta with1-2 tbsp olive oil, a small scoop of the tomato sauce, and beaten egg whites
11. Lubricate square baking dish with olive oil, layer pasta on bottom, tomato meat sauce in the middle, bechamel sauce on top, and sprinkle with Kefalotyri/parmesan cheese
12. Bake at 375F for 40-50 minutes, until golden brown on top
13. Let rest 20-30 minutes before cutting