Pastitsio - Greek Pasta Bake

Pastitsio is a baked pasta dish with origins from the Ionian Islands. Though the similarly spelled word pasticcio is a Venetian word and dates to the 16th century meaning “any manner of pastie or pie”. While the Pastitsio is Greek, you can find it in many locations with mild variations throughout the Mediterranean Sea.

We enjoyed this dish in Corfu, Greece (2025) and look forward to sampling more in 2026 across other Greek cities. This was the recipe I used to replicate the recipe at home, though some mild adjustments were needed due to available ingredients that night.

Pastitsio Ingredients:

• Ground Meat (Beef, pork, turkey, etc.)

• Pasta Noodles (Greek Bucatini, Penne, small Ziti, etc.)

• Tomato paste

• Diced tomatoes

• Onion

• Garlic

• Olive oil

• Seasonings (bay leaf, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg)

• Cheese (Greek Kefalotyri, pecorino, parmesan, Romano, etc.)

• Milk

• Butter

• Flour

• Eggs

Secret tricks I used this time (technically I cheated, but will make the full recipe next time):

• Use leftover bolognese

• Don’t want to make a bechamel sauce? Use equal parts ricotta and Greek yogurt with parmesan cheese.

• The most authentic ingredient is the nutmeg, so don’t skip it.

Pastitsio - Greek Pasta Bake - Real Greek Recipes