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Pastitsio (Greek Baked Pasta with Spiced Beef and Bechamel)

Pastitsio (Greek Baked Pasta with Spiced Beef and Bechamel) reads umami 7.4, richness 6.3 and salinity 4.5 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Greek main, about 1 hr 39 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 8.2 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 3.8 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 3.2 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 2.1 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 6.9 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.5 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 7.4 · Richness 6.3 · Salinity 4.5 · Allium 4.1 · Sourness 3.1 · Fruity 3.1 · Funk & Ferment 2.9 · Sweetness 2.6 · Nutty 2.2 · Warm Spice 2.1 · Floral 2.0 · Earthy 1.8 · Bitterness 1.4 · Herbaceous 0.7 · Heat 0.7

What's in it (16)

• penne rigate — 454 g
• olive oil — 27 g
• yellow onion — 110 g
• garlic — 12 g
• beef — 680 g
• cinnamon — 5 g
• tomatoes — 794 g
• dry red wine — 118 g
• salt — 7 g
• black pepper — 3 g
• unsalted butter — 82 g
• all-purpose flour — 60 g
• regular milk — 946 g
• nutmeg — 3 g
• parmesan cheese — 142 g
• eggs — 200 g

Time & effort: about 1 hr 39 min (1 hr 23 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 203.2 kcal, 17.2 g protein, 4.7 g fat, 26.2 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains dairy · Contains egg — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (8 steps)

1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until just shy of al dente, about 1-2 minutes less than the package directs (it will finish cooking in the oven), roughly 8 minutes. Drain and toss with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to keep it from sticking; set aside.
2. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
3. Add the ground beef, breaking it apart with a spoon, and cook until no longer pink and beginning to brown at the edges, 6-7 minutes. Drain off any excess fat.
4. Stir in the cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and the pepper; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the crushed tomatoes and red wine, bring to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened and no longer soupy, 15-18 minutes. Remove from the heat.
5. Meanwhile, make the bechamel: melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking constantly, until pale golden and the raw flour smell is gone, 1-2 minutes.
6. Gradually whisk in the warm milk. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, whisking often, until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, 6-8 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the nutmeg and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt.
7. Whisk 1 cup of the hot bechamel into the beaten eggs to temper them, then whisk the egg mixture back into the saucepan. Stir in 1 cup of the parmesan until melted and smooth.
8. Preheat the oven to 375F and butter a 9x13-inch baking dish. Toss the cooked pasta with the meat sauce and spread it evenly in the dish. Pour the bechamel evenly over the top and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup parmesan. Bake until the top is deeply golden and bubbling at the edges, 35-38 minutes. Let rest 15 minutes before slicing so the custard sets.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Sunday Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes — American
• Sunday Sauce with Braised Meatballs — Italian-American
• Braciole in Sunday Gravy — Italian-American
• Lamb Ragu over Pappardelle — Italian-American
• Old-Fashioned Beef Stew with Root Vegetables — American

Keep reading: what umami, richness, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.