Ingredients
For the Meat Sauce
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Olive oil — 2 Tbsp
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Garlic, finely minced — 3 cloves
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Red onions, finely chopped (or yellow/brown) — 2
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Beef mince (ground beef) — 1 kg / 2 lb
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Dry red wine — ¾ cup
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Canned crushed tomato — 800 g / 28 oz
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Beef bouillon (stock) cubes, crumbled — 2
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Tomato paste — 2 Tbsp
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White sugar — 1 tsp
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Bay leaf — 1
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Cinnamon powder — ½ tsp
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Cinnamon stick (or +½ tsp powder) — 1
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Ground cloves — ¼ tsp
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Kosher salt — ¾ tsp
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Black pepper — 1 tsp
For the Greek Béchamel
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Unsalted butter — 100 g / 7 Tbsp
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Plain/all-purpose flour — ¾ cup
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Milk (whole best; low-fat ok) — 1 L / 4 cups
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Nutmeg, preferably freshly grated — ⅛ tsp
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Kosher salt — ½ tsp
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Kefalotyri (or Parmesan/Romano), finely shredded — 100 g / 3 oz
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Egg yolks (whites go in pasta) — 2
For the Pasta Layer
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Pastitsio No.2 / Greek bucatini (or small ziti/penne/bucatini) — 400 g / 14 oz
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Feta, crumbled — 120 g / 4 oz
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Egg whites (from above) — 2
For the Topping
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Kefalotyri (or Parmesan/Romano), finely grated — 75 g / 3 oz
Instructions
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Start the meat sauce base
Heat oil in a wide pot over high. Sauté garlic and onions 2–3 minutes until softened and fragrant. -
Brown the beef
Add ground beef; cook, breaking up, until no longer red and starting to brown. Season with salt and pepper. -
Deglaze with wine
Pour in red wine; simmer ~3 minutes, scraping up browned bits, until mostly evaporated. -
Build & simmer the ragu
Stir in crushed tomatoes, bouillon, tomato paste, sugar, bay leaf, cinnamon (powder + stick), and cloves. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook 45–60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thick and almost dry. Remove from heat and cool ~30 minutes (uncovered) before assembling. -
Make the béchamel
Melt butter over medium. Stir in flour; cook 1 minute. Whisk in 2 cups milk until smooth, then whisk in remaining 2 cups. Cook ~5 minutes until thick enough to coat a spoon. Off heat, stir in nutmeg, salt, and Kefalotyri. Cool 5 minutes, then whisk in egg yolks. Keep warm. -
Cook & enrich the pasta
Boil pasta in salted water 1 minute shy of package time. Drain; cool 3 minutes in the pot. Stir in egg whites until glossy, then fold in feta. -
Assemble (33×22×7 cm / 9×13×2.75″ pan, lightly oiled)
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Bottom: Arrange pasta mostly in one direction; level.
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Middle: Spread cooled meat sauce evenly.
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Top: Pour béchamel to fully cover.
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Finish: Sprinkle with grated Kefalotyri.
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Bake
Bake at 180°C/350°F for ~30 minutes until golden and bubbling at edges. Optional: broil 1–2 minutes for deeper color. -
Rest & serve
Rest 10–15 minutes so layers set. Slice into neat squares and serve.
Notes
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Pasta options: Greek Pastitsio No.2 is ideal; substitutes: bucatini, penne, ziti (short tubes).
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Cheese swaps: Kefalotyri → Parmesan or Romano (1:1).
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Wine-free: Replace wine with beef stock + 1 tsp balsamic or red wine vinegar.
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Cleaner slices: Reduce the ragu until thick and almost dry; cooling before assembly helps.
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Why egg whites? They help the pasta set into a cohesive base.
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Make-ahead: Assemble, cover, and refrigerate up to 24 hours; add ~10 minutes to bake time.
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Freezer: Bake, cool, slice; freeze portions up to 2 months. Reheat covered at 160°C/325°F.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop, Baked
- Cuisine: Greek
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/10 of pan)
- Calories: ~590 kcal
- Sugar: ~8 g
- Sodium: ~950 mg
- Fat: ~32 g
- Saturated Fat: ~15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: ~16 g
- Trans Fat: ~1 g
- Carbohydrates: ~45 g
- Fiber: ~3 g
- Protein: ~30 g
- Cholesterol: 120 mg