| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 2 hr 15 min |
| Active: | 45 min |
| Yield: | 8 to 10 servings |
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 pounds ground beef (80/20)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups finely diced yellow onion
- 1/2 teaspoon ground Aleppo pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 3 cups crushed tomatoes
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 4 cups whole milk
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup finely grated kefalotyri cheese
- 3 large eggs
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound macaroni #1
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for the casserole dish
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup grated kefalotyri cheese
Instructions
- For the meat sauce: In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add the ground beef and sear without disturbing until brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Break it up into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon. Season with salt and pepper and cook until deeply browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the Aleppo and cinnamon and stir to combine. Tie the thyme sprigs together with butcher’s twine and add to the meat sauce. Deglaze with the wine, reduce by half, then stir in the crushed tomatoes and 1 cup water. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the tomatoes have begun to break down, about 30 minutes.
- For the béchamel sauce: In a large saucepan over medium heat, add the butter and allow to melt. Whisk in the flour and allow to toast for 1 minute. Add the nutmeg and about a quarter of the milk and whisk as the mixture cooks and bubbles. Add another quarter of the milk and cook, whisking. Once the milk is incorporated, add the rest of the milk and whisk again. This will ensure a smooth bechamel sauce. Season with salt and pepper and continue to cook, whisking, until the mixture has thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the kefalotyri cheese until melted. Whisk in the eggs and set aside.
- For the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the pasta. Do not stir as you will disturb it. In order to have even layers, the pasta needs to be cooked undisturbed, with all the noodles facing the same way. Cook the pasta for 4 minutes less than the package instructions.
- Set up your grill for indirect heat. If using a charcoal grill, build the coals on one side only. If using a gas grill, heat one side only.
- To assemble: Brush a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish with olive oil and set aside. Using tongs, remove the pasta from the pot and line the pasta evenly in the bottom of the prepared casserole dish. All the noodles should be facing the same direction. Add the melted butter and kefalotyri cheese and season with black pepper. Remove the bundle of thyme from the meat sauce and pour the meat sauce on top of the pasta. Using a rubber spatula, spread into an even layer without pressing down. Pour the béchamel over the meat sauce. Place the casserole dish onto the offset heat part of the grill, close the grill and bake until the top is golden brown and puffy, 40 to 45 minutes. Remove from the grill and allow to cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting into slices and serving.
- Oven method: Bake uncovered at 400 degrees F for 40 to 45 minutes.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 10 servings |
| Calories | 897 |
| Total Fat | 55 g |
| Saturated Fat | 24 g |
| Carbohydrates | 56 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 5 g |
| Sugar | 11 g |
| Protein | 40 g |
| Cholesterol | 187 mg |
| Sodium | 1036 mg |
Reviews
I live alone, retired and now have time to try new recipes. I ordered the cheese, pasta, wine, butter and oil from Greece. Everything was phenomenal. The Pasticcio was better than any I have ever eaten in a Restaurant. Such a filling and delicious dinner! I had a Greek Salad of Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Red Onion and Black Olives with Feta Cheese…. It was such a great meal. Thank you, Michael Symon!
My family is obsessed with his meal, THX Michael!
I finally got to make this dish. I have been wanting to for awhile. I had to substituted parmesan cheese & asiago cheese for the greek cheese. I followed recipe except using a different cheese and I add some garlic.(cajun in me). It turned out soo good. I thought my husband was going to eat the whole pan. We thought it was going to be heavy, but it wasnt heavy at all. Michael thanks for another great recipe. It is a family keeper.
Yes. We added a bit of clove to the sauce. It was really fun to try it this way as we usually do the Greek Jewish version of the dish which, for obvious reasons, omits the meat (we did not) and the layering is a bit different). This was restaurant worthy pastichio.
I followed the recipe to a T. As one of Greek decent I have made many Pastitios and every Greek has a different go to recipe who they think is the best. I have to say that Michael’s recipe is one of the best that I have tried. This is NOW my recipe to be shared with everyone.
It is authentic with great flavors. I wouldn’t change a thing
Bravo Michael!
It is authentic with great flavors. I wouldn’t change a thing
Bravo Michael!
Everything was very good except for the pasta. I worried about cooking it with ANY stirring, especially if undercooking by that much. My pasta, in plenty of water, without stirring, exuded it’s lovely starch, sticking mostly hard strands to each other. They were impossible to unstick, and were still hard after removing from the oven. I think you HAVE to stir at least a couple of times to prevent this sticking. I used bucatini, which I think should have been ok. 4 minutes less, is only 3 minutes of cooking. I made the meat sauce with lamb leg I ground, and it was delicious! So was the bechamel. I might make again, but would definitely change my method with the pasta.
I’ve always wanted to make this. It’s amazing! I cannot wait to share it with friends!
Made it came out excellent.
Very good. I didn’t use wine, but I used my frozen tomatoes so I had plenty of liquid to cook down. The pasta I could find was much thinner than what he had. Next time I will either double the pasta to make a huge pan or 1/2 the meat & cheese. I would really like to have the pan that he used
Excellent dish!!