I love trying new recipes, and pastitsio has been on my recipe bucket list for awhile now. Ever since I had some at a Greek restaurant in Chicago, I’ve been dying to give it a try. I love the layers, the CARBS, the cheese…who wouldn’t love that? When Kathy asked me to help her kick off the launch of her new book by making one of the recipes out of the “Sunday Dinner” section of her book, my eyes immediately jetted to the Pastitsio. Which I cannot spell for the life of me, by the way. I have to triple check it every time. I’m getting better though!
I can’t spell it but I can EAT it. And oh my, oh my, is Kathy’s recipe delicious. I’m so grateful that I have the chance to share this with you guys. Her cookbook is full of recipes that you can make in an 8×8-inch square pan. I usually double the recipe and make it in a 9 x 13 inch pan. Then we get to enjoy it two nights in a row – bonus! Her book is now available!
If you don’t know what pastitsio is, no worries! It’s a Greek baked pasta – you can find special pastitsio pasta but I just use mini ziti. The pasta is layered with a mixture of ground beef or lamb, tomatoes and wine. On top goes a creamy béchamel (white sauce) which is my absolute favorite part! Kathy uses lots of Parmesan in her béchamel recipe and it is irresistible!
Oh my goodness, you’re going to love this casserole! It makes your house smell SO good! I wasn’t sure my hubby would like this (I don’t know why!) but he loves it – maybe even more than I do. Pastitsio takes a little time to make. It’s in the “Sunday dinner” category of Kathy’s book for a reason. There’s definitely a little extra TLC that goes into making this but if you plan ahead, read through the entire recipe and take your time, there’s nothing too technically difficult about this recipe.
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