This Easy Pastitsio recipe is a 30-minute, one-pan dinner of creamy, flavorful Greek lasagna -- loaded with ground beef, tomatoes, pasta, and Greek yogurt!
8ouncessmall dry elbow macaroni OR small pasta shellsmeasuring out to about 1 ¾ to 2 cups dry pasta, depending on the size of the pasta
½cupfreshly grated Parmesan cheese
½cupGreek yogurtlow-fat or whole milk, preferably at room temperature
6ouncescrumbled feta cheesefor garnish (optional)
Freshly minced parsley or oreganofor garnish (optional)
Instructions
Pour crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, and half-and-half into a large (at least 1-quart) liquid measuring cup or medium bowl. Set aside.
Heat a very large skillet (or Dutch oven) over medium heat. Add the ground beef and cook until browned. Push beef to the edges of the skillet and add garlic to the center of the pan. Stir and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Stir the garlic into the cooked beef and drain any excess grease from the skillet.
Sprinkle oregano, sugar, salt, thyme, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cayenne over the beef and dollop tomato paste on top. Stir until the spices are well-distributed and the tomato paste is well-incorporated. Pour the crushed tomato mixture and the pasta into the skillet and stir to combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer, stirring frequently to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the skillet. Continue to cook and stir for 8 to 12 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed and the pasta is al dente. (If the liquid gets absorbed before the pasta finishes cooking, add a splash more chicken broth or water, as necessary.)
Once the pasta is done, remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese. Measure the Greek yogurt into a bowl and temper it (to prevent it from curdling) by spooning a bit of the warm sauce/beef/pasta into the yogurt and stirring to combine. Add another big spoonful of warm sauce to the yogurt and stir again. Repeat this process until the yogurt feels warm to the touch, then transfer all of the yogurt mixture into the skillet and stir to combine. Sprinkle with crumbled feta and minced herbs, if desired. Serve immediately.
Notes
If you wish to lighten up this recipe a bit, you may increase the chicken broth to 2 ½ cups and decrease the half-and-half to ½ cup.
I cooked this Pastitsio recipe in an enameled cast iron pan while stirring frequently, and I didn't have a problem with the pasta sticking. However, if you walk away or stop stirring for a while, it is likely that the pasta will stick to the bottom of the pan. So stick close by! ;)
Cinnamon is what gives this recipe a distinctive Pastitsio flavor. However, a little bit of cinnamon goes a long way, so if you don't care for it in savory recipes, feel free to decrease the amount used.