Pastichio is a food of love – what I would describe as a Greek version of lasagna.
When I made this for my family, it sparked off a debate as to which was better – Traditional Lasagna or this. The family was divided.
To begin, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Start a pot of water to cook a pound of small penne pasta in. Cook this pasta when the water comes to a boil, but cook the pasta 2 minutes less than you would for al dente. When it is finished, drain it in a colander and drizzle with a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil.
Meanwhile, dice an onion and cook it in a skillet with 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. When it is slightly tender, add in a pound of ground beef or bison. Cook until the meat is browned and no longer pink, breaking up the chunks of meat with your utensil.
Add in 15 ounces of fire roasted diced tomatoes, a tablespoon of tomato paste, 1 teaspoon each of sea salt and black pepper, a tablespoon of parsley, and 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon.
Pour in 1/2 cup of white or pink wine – I used a white zinfandel. Stir this all together, cover, and let it cook on medium heat.
While that is cooking together, melt a stick of unsalted butter (1/2 cup) in a saucepan.
When it is melted, add in 1/2 cup of flour and whisk them together. Let them cook and bubble over medium heat for just a minute.
Add in 4 cups of milk. Stirring continually, bring this to a gentle boil. Let it bubble for a minute and turn off the heat.
Add in 1/2 cup of feta cheese and 1/3 cup of grated parmesan. Stir until the cheeses are melted in. Set this aside for a moment, but give it a little stir every couple minutes.
About now, your pasta should be cooked. Don’t forget to drizzle it with the extra virgin olive oil when you drain it in the colander. Give it a stir and leave it be for now.
In a mixing bowl, beat 4 egg whites until fluffy but not stiff.
Spread half of your cooked pasta in an oiled 9×13 baking dish.
Spread the beaten egg whites over the top of the pasta.
Sprinkle 1/2 cup of feta cheese and 1/3 cup of grated parmesan cheese over the top of the egg whites.
Spread your meat sauce over the top of this.
Top with the other half of the pasta, then pour your creamy sauce all over the top.
Finish off with another 1/2 cup of feta and 1/3 cup of parmesan.
Bake uncovered for 40-50 minutes, or until the top is golden with brown spots. Be sure not to burn it. Let it cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.
Enjoy!
Pastichio
Ingredients
- 1 lb small penne pasta, cooked according to package directions - minus 2 minutes
- 4 Tb extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 onion
- 1 lb ground beef or bison
- 15 oz fire roasted diced tomatoes, 1 can
- 1 Tb tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 c white or pink wine, such as a white zinfandel
- 1/2 c unsalted butter, 1 stick
- 1/2 c flour
- 4 c milk
- 1 1/2 c crumbled feta cheese, divided
- 1 c grated Parmesan cheese, divided
- 4 egg whites
Instructions
- To begin, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Start a pot of water to cook a pound of small penne pasta in. Cook this pasta when the water comes to a boil, but cook the pasta 2 minutes less than you would for al dente. When it is finished, drain it in a colander and drizzle with a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil.
- Meanwhile, dice an onion and cook it in a skillet with 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. When it is slightly tender, add in a pound of ground beef or bison. Cook until the meat is browned and no longer pink, breaking up the chunks of meat with your utensil.
- Add in the fire roasted diced tomatoes, tomato paste, sea salt, black pepper, parsley, and cinnamon.
- Pour in the wine. Stir this all together, cover, and let it cook on medium heat.
- While that is cooking together, in a saucepan melt the stick of unsalted butter.
- When it is melted, add in the flour and whisk them together. Let them cook and bubble over medium heat for just a minute.
- Add in the milk. Stirring continually, bring this to a gentle boil. Let it bubble for a minute and turn off the heat.
- Add in 1/2 cup of feta cheese and 1/3 cup of grated Parmesan. Stir until the cheeses are melted in. Set this aside for a moment, but give it a little stir every couple minutes.
- About now, your pasta should be cooked. Don’t forget to drizzle it with the extra virgin olive oil when you drain it in the colander. Give it a stir and leave it be for now.
- In a mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until fluffy but not stiff.
- Spread half of your cooked pasta in an oiled 9×13 baking dish.
- Spread the beaten egg whites over the top of the pasta.
- Sprinkle 1/2 cup of feta cheese and 1/3 cup of grated parmesan cheese over the top of the egg whites.
- Spread your meat sauce over the top of this.
- Top with the other half of the pasta, then pour your creamy sauce all over the top.
- Finish off with another 1/2 cup of feta and 1/3 cup of Parmesan.
- Bake uncovered for 40-50 minutes, or until the top is golden with brown spots. Be sure not to burn it. Let it cool for 10-15 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Nutrition
If nutritional values are provided for this recipe, they are an estimate and will vary depending on the brands of ingredients you use. The values do not include optional ingredients or when ingredients are added to taste or for serving. If nutritional values are very important to you, I suggest using your favorite nutritional calculating tool with the brands you use.
This recipe was adapted from It’s All Greek to Me by Debbie Matenopoulos
I LOVE this stuff. I originally found it in an international cookbook, but they called it “pastitsio.” Slightly different ingredients, but with beef, cinnamon, Greek cheese, and pasta in common. A bit of work to pull off, but totally worth it!
Thanks Katie! I’ve seen it spelled a couple of ways – but however it is spelled, it means delicious! :)
Awesome recipe – my kids loved it. I used tricolored penne because that’s what I had on hand. It was so much that I ended up splitting up the leftovers and freezing them for another day…
Thank you Constance. Nice and different recipe. Have another wonderful day.
LOL I can’t believe we both posted about the same dish at the same time! It was fun to see how your pastichio differs from mine, including the spelling of the name, which I’ve seen both ways.
Yum, yum! Can’t wait to try it!!