This baked pasta dish is the Greek version of lasagna — but way better. I learned how to make my dad's recipe, and it's perfect for leftovers.

Anneta KonstantinidesJun 5, 2024, 01:49 IST

I learned how to make my dad's pastitsio, a classic Greek pasta dish that I think tastes way better than lasagna.Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

I learned how to make my dad's famous pastitsio, a classic Greek pasta dish.
It's creamier than a baked ziti and meatier than your classic lasagna, and it's super easy to make.

When it comes to pasta, the dish that I always look forward to most when I visit home is a Greek classic called pastitsio.

Pastitsio (pronounced pa-stie-chio) is a baked pasta dish with ground meat and a béchamel sauce. It's creamier than a baked ziti and meatier than your classic lasagna. But overall, it's just extremely comforting — and almost impossible to eat just one serving.

I've been eating pastitsio since before I can remember, but it wasn't until I left California that I realized how much I would miss my parents' Greek cooking. There were many cold New York nights when I dreamed of a steaming bowl of avgolemono soup or a heaping plate of pastitsio as my radiator banged on and on in my tiny East Village apartment.

After many years of lusting after my favorite homemade pasta dish, I finally asked my dad to teach me how to make his famous pastitsio. Lucky for you, I persuaded him to share the recipe, too.

Pastitsio is made with a handful of ingredients you probably already have in your pantry and fridge.

My dad's pastitsio includes ground beef, penne pasta, and marinara sauce.Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

My dad's béchamel sauce also requires only a few simple ingredients.

The béchamel sauce includes milk, eggs, butter, and flour.Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

Unlike lasagna, pastitsio is a dish that doesn't require much prep.

First I chopped the parsley.Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

I also got my pan for the pastitsio ready.

I brushed my baking dish with olive oil.Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

Then it was time to get the noodles and onions cooking.

As I boiled the pasta I started cooking my onions.Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

Once the onions had browned, I threw in my parsley and ground beef.

I salted the ground beef after adding it to the pan.Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

After the meat had browned, I cracked my egg right on top.

I stirred everything together until the egg was fully cooked.Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

Then I poured half a jar of marinara sauce into the mix.

My dad recommends using marinara over tomato sauce.Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

I mixed everything together and let the marinara sauce cook with the ground beef for a few minutes.

The sauce looked nice and thick after a few minutes.Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

Once the penne was al dente, I drained my pasta.

My dad adds cold water to the pot while draining pasta to help stop the cooking process.Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

Then it was time for one of my dad's special tricks: throwing the pasta back into the pot with a few knobs of butter.

Adding butter to the pot.Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

It was time to start building the pastitsio.

I added half the penne to the bottom layer of the pan, covering it.Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

Then we added the ground-beef mixture.

Then I added all the ground beef mixture on top.Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

We added the rest of the penne on top before starting the béchamel sauce.

Then I added the rest of the penne on top.Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

To start the béchamel sauce, I cracked the two eggs into a small bowl.

I then slightly beat the eggs with a fork.Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

Then, in a small saucepan, I melted the stick of butter.

I melted a few knobs of butter before adding the milk and flour.Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

Then I threw in the flour and milk.

I added the milk slowly while continuously stirring the sauce.Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

My dad got behind the stove to show me how to properly mix the béchamel.

My dad mixing the béchamel sauce.Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

My dad continued mixing the sauce until it came to a boil.

My dad told me to take the sauce off the stove after I saw the first bubble.Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

Once the sauce was ready, my dad poured it on top of that second layer of pasta.

Once the sauce was ready, my dad poured it right on top of the penne.Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

I put the pan into the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 30 minutes, until the top layer had slightly browned.

The pastitsio takes about 30 minutes to bake in the oven.Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

All that was left to do was dig in!

The pastitsio tastes even better if you add some feta cheese.Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

I may be biased, but I think my dad's pastitsio is way better than lasagna — and should be in everyone's pasta repertoire.

My dad proudly holding up a plate of his famous pastitsio.Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

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This baked pasta dish is the Greek version of lasagna &mdash; but way better. I learned how to make my dad's recipe, and it's perfect for leftovers.