Greek Baked Macaroni with Spiced Beef and Bechamel

Eleni Georgiou @eleni.g.cooksSep 9, 2026

19 ingredients

14 steps

What you need

3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for the dish
2 onions, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
800 g (1 3/4 lb) ground beef
120 ml (1/2 cup) dry red wine
2 tbsp tomato paste
400 g (14 oz) chopped tomatoes, canned
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp ground allspice
2 bay leaves
500 g (1 lb) pastitsio pasta, Greek No. 2 macaroni, or bucatini
3 eggs, separated
120 g (1 1/4 cups) kefalotyri, grated, or pecorino romano; divided
130 g (9 tbsp) unsalted butter
110 g (3/4 cup) plain flour
1.2 l (5 cups) whole milk, warmed
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste

Method

Restated from the original video

1
Warm the olive oil in a large deep pan over medium heat. Add the onions and soften until translucent, 6-8 min, then stir in the garlic for 1 min.
2
Raise the heat, add the beef and break it up with a spoon. Fry until no pink remains and the juices have cooked off, 8-10 min.
3
Pour in the wine and let it bubble almost dry, 2-3 min. Stir in the tomato paste for 1 min.
4
Add the tomatoes, cinnamon stick, allspice, bay leaves, salt, black pepper and a small glass of water. Simmer uncovered, stirring now and then, until thick and no longer watery, 30-35 min. Remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaves.
5
Boil the pasta in well-salted water for 2 min less than the packet time, then drain.
6
Return the pasta to its pot. Toss it with 30 g of the butter, the egg whites, lightly beaten, and a third of the kefalotyri.
7
For the bechamel, melt the rest of the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, still whisking, for 2 min without letting it brown.
8
Pour in the warm milk a little at a time, whisking hard, then keep whisking until the sauce is thick and smooth, 6-8 min. Season with the nutmeg and salt.
9
Take the bechamel off the heat and cool for 5 min. Whisk in the egg yolks and half of the remaining kefalotyri.
10
Heat the oven to 180 °C (350 °F). Oil a deep baking dish about 23 x 33 cm (9 x 13 in).
11
Spread the pasta in the dish in an even layer, laying long strands side by side. Spoon the meat sauce over it and level it.
12
Pour the bechamel over the meat, smooth the top and scatter on the last of the kefalotyri.
13
Bake until the top is puffed and golden brown, 45-50 min.
14
Rest for at least 30 min so it sets, then cut into squares and serve.

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About pastitsio

Tube pasta layered with a cinnamon-spiced ground beef and tomato sauce, topped with bechamel and baked until the top sets golden and sliceable.

What cooks argue about

The bechamel is the fault line: beating in egg lets it set firm enough to cut clean slices once cooled, while a plain butter and milk version stays looser and slumps hot.

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