Pastitsio

Pastitsio is a Greek pasta bake with layers of pasta, meat sauce and béchamel. In Akis Petretzikis’s recipe, ground beef simmers with onion, garlic, tomato paste, canned tomatoes, red wine, cinnamon, thyme and bay leaves. Butter, flour and whole milk form the béchamel, which is enriched with nutmeg, grated Gruyère and egg yolks.^[1]

Cooked bucatini is mixed with beaten eggs, crumbled feta, parsley and thyme in the baking dish. A little béchamel is stirred into the beef sauce before it is spread over the pasta. The remaining béchamel covers the meat, with more grated Gruyère on top, and the dish is baked until the surface becomes golden.^[1]