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This pastit*io recipe is a Greek-style macaroni cheese, which I’ve been told numerous times does not remotely resemble the authentic Greek recipe. However, this is how my father taught me to make it. In this easy family favourite recipe, layers of ooey, gooey macaroni cheese sandwich a spiced lamb mince, and it’s been a go-to family recipe for many of my blog readers for years.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
- What is Pastit*io?
- The ultimate comfort food
- Ingredients needed for Pastit*io – Greek Macaroni Pie
- How to make Pastit*io – Greek Macaroni Pie – Step-by-step Instructions
- How to make the BEST Greek mac and cheese
Pastit*io – Greek Macaroni Pie+−
- Other mac and cheese recipes you might like
- Pin this recipe for later
- Other lamb recipes you might like
What is Pastit*io?
Pastit*io is a baked pasta dish made with ground meat and béchamel sauce, a sort of Greek-style macaroni cheese.
Recipes vary, but the traditional pastit*io usually has a base of tubular pasta (like bucatini) with an egg and/or cheese mix to bind.
The bottom pasta layer is topped with a layer of ground beef and/or pork in tomato sauce seasoned with cinnamon and cloves. The top pasta layer is mixed with a béchamel sauce flavoured with nutmeg or allspice, and the whole dish is topped with a layer of grated Greek goat cheese.
In Cyprus, a similar dish is made with ground lamb. Flavoured with mint, parsley or cinnamon, pastit*io is usually served at Easter time along with a spit roast.
My Canadian father gave me this version of pastit*io. It’s been a firm family favourite in our house for over a decade, and it’s been a reader favourite since I originally published it.
Note – the original recipe I shared back in 2015 included a recipe and photographs showing pastit*io made with cheddar cheese instead of the traditional Greek Kefalotiri cheese.
I confess I have been rightfully chastised for the inauthenticity of this recipe numerous times. No self-respecting Greek woman would use cheddar in her Greek macaroni pie, or cumin, for that matter, I’ve been told.
Lucy from Supergolden Bakes is a Greek food blogger, and there’s cumin in her pastit*io recipe so I’m keeping it!
In March 2019 I updated this recipe. I still can not source Kefalotiri cheese, so I’ve substituted it with Parmesan, as she suggested (but I’m not giving up the cumin!). The original cheddar was my father’s variation, and although it tastes fabulous, it’s not pastit*io.
The ultimate comfort food
This morning I hit the floor running. It was go-go-go all day, with my not finding the time to scoff breakfast until about half-past one in the afternoon (and even that was a hurried banana while heading off to another meeting!).
I’d taken a packet of lamb mince out of the freezer last night with no idea of what I was going to do with it, but come time to make dinner I was in a carbohydrates sort of mood.
A macaroni and cheese sort of mood.
Macaroni and cheese with a layer of lamb mince spiced with toasted cumin kind of mood.
Pastit*io it would be!
This recipe is the ultimate in comfort food, ticking all the boxes for carbs, cheese and flavour. Leftovers reheat really well too.
Ingredients needed for Pastit*io – Greek Macaroni Pie
- Dry elbow macaroni – alternatively, use bucatini pasta for a more authentic recipe.
- Olive oil – I use Pomora, for frying the onion, garlic and lamb mixture.
- Onion – use a large brown onion, finely chopped.
- Garlic – because all the best recipes have garlic in them.
- Lamb mince – use a good quality ethically reared, locally sourced lamb mince from your local butchers.
- Lamb stock – homemade lamb stock will give your recipe an even better flavour.
- Tomato puree – this gives the lamb mixture a nice pop of tomato flavour.
- Cumin seeds – whole seeds toasted and ground give the best flavour for this recipe.
- Ground cinnamon – gives a warming, homely flavour to the recipe.
- Fresh mint – According to the theory of food pairing, lamb and mint are a scientific match because mint is rich with branched-chain ketones. These are chemically related to lamb’s branched-chain fatty acids and have similar, though not identical, aromas.
- Butter – for making the bechamel sauce. Again, try and support your local dairy, if possible.
- Plain flour – for thickening the bechamel sauce.
- Plain, natural yoghurt – this adds a unique, Greek flavour to the bechamel sauce.
- Milk – use full-fat milk from your local dairyfor the best flavour.
- Kefalotyri cheese – if you can source it, use this Greek cheese. Substitute with Parmesan or Romano cheese if you can’t find Kefalotyri.
- Salt & pepper – to taste.
How to make Pastit*io – Greek Macaroni Pie – Step-by-step Instructions
- Cook your macaroni according to packet instructions. Reserve some of the pasta water to make the stock, and rinse the cooked macaroni under cold water to stop the cooking process. Set aside.
- Heat oil in a pan and saute the onion & garlic until softened. Add the lamb mince, season well, and cook until browned. Add the stock, tomato puree and spices, reduce the heat and simmer until thickened.
- Make a béchamel sauce with butter, flour, yoghurt and milk. Stir in half of the cheese.
- Mix the cheese sauce with the cooked, cold macaroni and spoon half into the bottom of a pie dish.
- Top with the lamb layer and add the remaining macaroni cheese.
- Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake at 180 C/ 375 F for 30 minutes, until the cheese is golden and bubbly on top.
Click here for the full recipe instructions.
How to make the BEST Greek mac and cheese
This recipe tastes incredible when made with cheddar cheese (but it’s not pastit*io!), as shown in the old photos above. Simply replace the lamb mince with beef mince, and use 135 grams/ 1.5 cups of grated mature cheddar cheese.
Recipe Difficulty Levels
Easy
Requires basic cooking skills and ingredients you most likely already have in your kitchen.
Moderate
Requires more experience, preparation and/or cooking time. You may have to source special ingredients.
Challenging
Recipes requiring more advanced skills and experience and maybe some special equipment.
Pastit*io – Greek Macaroni Pie
Pastit*io is a Greek-style macaroni cheese recipe. In this easy family favourite recipe layers of ooey gooey macaroni cheese sandwich a spiced lamb mince.
4.06 from 54 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes
Total Time: 1 hour hour
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 587kcal
Author: Elizabeth
Ingredients
Metric – US Cup Measures
- 235 grams dry elbow macaroni reserve the pasta water
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion diced
- 2 garlic cloves
- 500 grams lean lamb mince
- 1 lamb stock pot
- 2 tsp tomato puree
- 1 tsp whole cumin seeds toasted and ground
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp fresh mint leaves
- 50 grams butter
- 50 grams plain flour
- 135 grams plain natural yoghurt
- 125 ml full fat milk
- 80 grams Kefalotyri cheese or Parmesan
- Shetland sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
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Equipment
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180 C/ 375 F.
Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and cook 235 grams dry elbow macaroni according to the package instructions, until al dente. About 8 minutes. Reserve 300 ml of the pasta cooking water to make your stock with.
Drain the pasta in a colander and pour over plenty of cold water to stop the cooking process. Set aside.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a saute pan.
Gently saute 1 large onion, finely chopped, and chopped 2 garlic cloves in 2 tbsp olive oilfor 8-10 minutes, until softened. Add 500 grams lean lamb mince, season well with Shetland sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, and cook until browned all over.
Mix 1 lamb stock pot with the pasta water to make a lamb stock, and pour into the lamb mixture along with 1 tsp whole cumin seeds, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 2 tsp tomato puree and 1 tbsp fresh mint leaves, finely chopped.
Simmer, gently, for 10-15 minutes, until the mixture is thick.
Heat 50 grams butter in a small saucepan until melted and beginning to bubble. Stir in 50 grams plain flour and cook for one minute, stirring constantly.
Remove from the heat and whisk in 125 ml full fat milk and 135 grams plain natural yoghurt.
Return to the heat and cook gently for a further five minutes. Remove from the heat again and stir in half of the 80 grams Kefalotyri cheese.
Mix the cooked macaroni with the cheese sauce and spoon half of the mixture into the bottom of a medium-sized pie dish.
Spoon over the spiced lamb mince and top with the remaining macaroni. Sprinkle with the remaining grated cheese.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until the top is golden and bubbly.
Serve with a side salad!
Video
Notes
Beef & Cheddar Mac & Cheese Variation
Simply replace the lamb with ground beef and use beef stock instead of lamb stock. Replace the Kefalotyri (or Parmesan) with 135 grams/ 1.5 cups of grated mature cheddar.
Nutrition
Calories: 587kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 95mg | Sodium: 293mg | Potassium: 218mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 390IU | Vitamin C: 2.3mg | Calcium: 232mg | Iron: 2.5mg
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Other mac and cheese recipes you might like
- – another of our family favourites!
- Scotch Lamb Mac n Cheese – Scottish comfort food at its best and then some!
- Smoked Salmon & Leek Macaroni Cheese – inspired bya fabulous lunch at Mat Follas’ Bramble Cafe.
- Cauliflower & Broccoli Mac and Cheese – all in one simple and ultimately satisfying dish.
- Mac and Cheese – an easy one-pot camping recipe.
- Healthy Mac and Cheese – a big bowl for under 350 calories and it tastes delicious!
- Instant Pot Mac and Cheese – five ways!
