Our Pastitsio & Lasagne Mash Up Recipe.
We grew up with Pastitsio. I honestly don’t remember eating lasagne until I was an adult and made it myself.
My son grew up with Pastitsio too, so when I started making lasagne, he had a few opinions! He preferred the pasta in Pastitsio and that was a big thing for him! But loved the rich bolognese sauce in lasagne.
So, I brought the two together. And you know what? It’s really yum. It’s become a favourite in our house, so I thought I’d share the love.
Ingredients
Pasta and meat sauce
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1 packet penne pasta
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Oil, for frying
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1 onion, finely chopped
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1 tablespoon minced garlic
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500 g beef mince
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500 g pork mince
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Salt and pepper, to taste
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½ teaspoon cinnamon
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1 cup red wine
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2 tablespoons tomato paste
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1 bottle passata
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1 tin Roma tomatoes
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1 tablespoon brown sugar
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1 cup beef stock
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1 bay leaf
Béchamel sauce
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4 tablespoons butter
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½ cup plain flour
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5 cups milk
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½ cup grated parmesan
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½ cup grated tasty cheese
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½ cup grated mozzarella
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Salt, to taste
Optional swaps
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Gluten-free: Use gluten-free pasta and gluten-free plain flour, and check your stock and other packaged ingredients.
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Without onion and garlic pieces: Leave out the chopped onion and minced garlic, and use onion- and garlic-infused oil instead.
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Lactose-free: Use lactose-free milk, butter and cheese.
Method
1. Get started
Preheat your oven to 180°C and line a large baking dish with baking paper.
Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil and add 1 tablespoon of salt. Add the pasta and cook until slightly underdone, it will keep cooking in the oven. Drain and set aside.
2. Make the meat sauce
Heat a little oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and cook until softened, then stir in the garlic. Add the beef and pork mince and cook until browned, breaking it up as you go.
Season with salt and pepper, then stir in the cinnamon. Pour in the wine and let it reduce.
Add the tomato paste and stir through. Then add the passata, tinned tomatoes and brown sugar. Stir well, breaking up the tomatoes, then add the stock and bay leaf. Simmer until the sauce has reduced and thickened. Remove the bay leaf.
3. Make the béchamel
Combine the three grated cheeses in a bowl and set aside.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and stir for a minute or two until it forms a smooth paste.
Gradually pour in the milk, whisking as you go to keep the sauce smooth. Continue stirring until it comes to a gentle simmer and thickens.
Reduce the heat, season with salt and stir in three-quarters of the cheese, keeping the rest for the top. Stir until melted and combined.
I like my sauce really cheesy—it adds so much richness and flavour!
4. Bring it all together
Spread a little béchamel and a spoonful of meat sauce over the base of your prepared baking dish.
Mix the pasta through the remaining meat sauce. Add a layer of the pasta mixture to the dish, followed by a thin layer of béchamel. Repeat until you’ve used all the pasta.
I go lightly with the béchamel between the layers because I like to save plenty for a lovely thick layer on top.
Finish with the remaining béchamel and sprinkle over the reserved cheese.
5. Bake and enjoy
Bake at 180°C for around 30 minutes, until golden and bubbling.
I always serve this with a Greek salad on the side. It’s a great one to make on the weekend for a midweek dinner, or make a couple and freeze one for those nights when you really can’t be bothered cooking.
Hope you love our little mash-up as much as we do!
