Pastitsio (Greek Baked Pasta With Cinnamon and Tomatoes)

Oh the haters. I’ve been eating pastitsio my whole life. Both homemade and at countless restaurants. This recipe should be called “better than pastitsio”. Yiayias is usually dry and mostly bland. Go ahead and try this and recipe and enjoy.

My husband, who is from Greece said it was some of the best he has ever had. The noodles obviously weren’t the same as what they usually use for pastitsio but just as tasty. I will definitely make it again.

Man, there is a whole lotta authenticity-hate on this recipe. I grew up in a fresh-off-the-boat Greek family that made it exactly like this. Maybe because we were island people and beef was hard to get, lamb (which my island had in abundant supply) was definitely used. I now live nowhere near another Greek person, but I do have access to the softer pecorino and I agree that it's a fine substitute for kefalotyri. The harder pecorino that's more present in the U.S. would be rough on the palate.

Great recipe, but penne really can't be substituted for ziti and grated kefalotyri is a much better choice to finish the dish. Using penne and then parm for the finish gives it too much of an Italian profile, making the cinnamon seem out off-putting instead of at home.

This is a strange twist on the traditional recipe. First, it's unheard of to use ground lamb even in Greece where it is fresh. I'd be "afraid" to use ground lamb sourced in the US, lamb is already poor quality as it is and mostly shipped on the slow boat from Australia or New Zealand. Second, the pasta used is a thick tubular macaroni product, not penne or ziti. You can buy the real deal in Greek specialty shops or there are some Italian comparables that sometimes are sold in the supermarket

The ground lamb has an ENORMOUS amount of fat in it. I drained it after cooking and before adding the herbs and tomatoes and got around 3/4 of a cup of pure oil. Without draining this dish would be swimming in lamb fat and I don't think getting rid of it has any negative impact on the dish.

We never make this with lamb, only ground beef. No one in Greece makes this with lamb as far as I know (Thessaloniki/Macedonia/Thrace). Also the key is very very little tomato paste, it should be just enough to elevate the casserole with some acidity. The dish should be light and fluffy, and cut into rather firm slices ala frittata style, served at room temp or slightly warmed, and like any casserole better the next day.

I made this but I subbed beef for lamb, and cut back on the tomatoes. Also skipped the thyme and oregano, reduced the cinnamon and added nutmeg. Doubled the amount of bechamel and swapped in kefalotyri, and grated a little nutmeg here too. I used long tube pasta, not ziti, and when I put it in the pan, I layered it instead of stirring it all together. Amazing I made all those subs, and my husband confirms: it’s just like they make in Greece! :)

Tasty and filling. Real comfort food! On a personal note, to all the critics below, I'm a third generation Greek-Canadian, and at this point I have no idea what "authentic" Greek cooking is. All I can say is this tasted like home. Overall: Would make again.

I use kefalotyri when I make my version. Greek delis usually carry it.

The original pastitsio includes Spaggeti (number 2-3 size) some cheese and 2eggs. Pork/beef mince, fresh chopped tomato, 2-3 leaf’s of daphne, black pepper, onion, (garlic is not mandatory nor included), it gives strong flavor, parsley, olive oil and for the cream you need milk, some flour and some corn flour, eggs 1 or 2(depends size of pan), butter and nutmeg. We also add a layer of cheese on top of the mince and some inside the bechamel (local cheese with strong flavor, we call it kefalotiri

Don't listen to the haters. While not absolutely, purely, traditionally Greek, this is a very good recipe, and makes use of what you likely already have on hand. Tastes a lot like the pastitsio I ate at Alexis in Portland--one of the best Greek restaurants ever! I used less parmesan--probably just 1/3 cup in the bechamel.

This was absolutely delicious!! I halved the recipe and wished I hadn’t and used sananaki cheese not Parmesan. It went down a treat in my house. Highly recommend pastitsio or not!!

I have never had pastitsio that I can remember and I have no reference for the origin of this dish. No debate from me on the authenticity. However, to it's own right, it is a good dish. I did make a slight tweak, which most likely change the flavor profile that I ended up really liking. I didn't have crushed tomatoes and had a jar of Ajvar (a flavorful red pepper sauces) on hand so I used that instead. It really made the sauces pop.

The recipe is OK. But I'm more Greek than it is.