This is my healthy take on a Greek classic, Pastitsio. Instead of a rich cheesy sauce, it’s topped with a much lighter blend of yoghurt, tahini and parmesan cheese. It can also be made with beef mince if you prefer, but personally prefer to use lamb mince.
Take a look at the variations (below the main recipe) for suggestions to alter the recipe to suit any specific dietary requirements.
Pastitsio
Serves: 6
A healthier and lighter take on a Greek classic Pastitsio. Instead of a rich cheesy sauce, it’s topped with a much lighter blend of yoghurt, tahini and parmesan cheese.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil - extra virgin
- 1 red onion/s - diced
- 4 clove/s garlic - diced
- 600 g lamb mince
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp mixed spice
- 1 bay leaf/s
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 60 ml red wine
- 1 zucchini/s - diced into 1 cm pieces
- 2 carrot/s - diced into 1 cm pieces
- 700 g tomato passata (puree)
- 125 ml chicken stock or bone broth
- 1 tsp sea salt - or to taste
- Ground black pepper - to taste
- 30 g baby spinach - chopped (1 cup)
- 250 g rice quinoa penne pasta (or any pasta that suits)
Topping
- 1 clove/s garlic
- 500 g full-fat natural yoghurt - or greek yoghurt (2 cups)
- 2 tbsp hulled tahini
- 1 free-range or organic egg/s
- 1 tsp sea salt
- Ground black pepper
- 25 g parmesan cheese - grated (¼ cup)
- 2 tbsp pinenuts
- ¼ bunch/s fresh parsley leaves - approx. 1 handful, finely chopped
Method
- Heat the olive oil over a medium heat and add the onion. Sauté for a couple of minutes.
- Add the garlic and lamb mince, sauté to brown the mince.
- Add the cinnamon, mixed spice, bay leaf and oregano and cook for a minute until you smell their fragrance.
- Turn the heat up to high and add the red wine (it should sizzle and reduce quickly and remove the alcohol).
- Reduce the heat and add the tomato passata, broth, zucchini, carrots and seasoning.
- Cover and simmer with the lid ajar for 15-20 minutes.
- Pre-heat you oven to 180°C/ 350°F fan-forced.
- While the sauce is simmering, boil the penne.
- Once it is almost cooked, drain and rinse the pasta and mix in with the sauce and the baby spinach.
- Place into an oven proof serving dish.
- In a food processor or by hand, grate cheese and set aside.
- Then blend the garlic, yoghurt, tahini, sea salt, pepper and egg.
- Pour this over the sauce/ pasta mix, top with the grated parmesan and pine nuts.
- Bake for 10-15 mins or until the cheese is melted and the top is browned.
Serve
- Sprinkle with the chopped parsley leaves and serve with a green, leafy salad.
Thermomix
- I chop the onion and garlic in the TMX but cook it all in a pan. I find it cooks better that way, not as sloppy as cooking in the TMX. I then use it to grate the cheese and make the topping sauce.
Store
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.
Make ahead
- Re-heat in a low oven until just hot.
Variations
Dairy Free
Make two cups of this Dairy-free Bechamel Sauce to replace the yoghurt. Replace the Parmesan cheese with a generous sprinkling of nutritional yeast flakes and a little bit of salt.Onion and garlic-free
Replace the onion with a small fennel bulb and the garlic a pinch of chilli flakes.Vegetarian
Replace the mince with 2 cans of brown lentils (drained and rinsed). Choose vegetable broth.Nut-free
Omit the pine nuts.Wine free
Replace the wine with broth or stock (and a tsp of vinegar).Different vegetables
Feel free to switch up the veggies to suit your supplies and tastes.I'd love to hear how you like this recipe. Post a comment below and rate this recipe, thanks so much.
Rebecca Cavanagh says
Just cooked this recipe and it was delicious. Winning again, thank you! x
Georgia Harding says
So glad you loved it Rebecca G x
Kate Dusting says
Amazing!! Super big hit in our house with all 3 kids and adults which doesn’t happen very often! Ultimate comfort food. Thank you!!!
Georgia Harding says
Yay, perfect Kate. So glad it was a winner and cheers for the 5?s too G x
Ruth K says
This has become a firm favourite in our house – guests, kids home… or just hubby and me with lots of leftovers to freeze or have as lunches. Easy, delicious and veg flexible is always a hit with me 🙂
Georgia Harding says
So glad you love it Ruth, it’s the same in my house, a nice change from bolognese and not as fussy as lasagne G x
Desiree Mou says
Wanted to make this tomorrow and I’m wondering what is meant by ‘mixed spice’? Im trying to get a sense of what flavours would go with oregano and cinnamon and I’m just not sure. Thanks!
Georgia Harding says
Desiree it’s a premix blend of spices, generally cinnamon, coriander seed, caraway, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, allspice (you find it in all major supermarkets). It’s quite important to this traditional dish G x
Kirsty Armstrong says
Hi Georgia, could I leave out the red wine or sub it? We don’t drink wine in our house so never have it on hand.
Kirsty Armstrong says
Never mind I just read the variations. Silly me!
Georgia Harding says
No worries, glad you found it, I generally have a wine free variation in my recipes G x
Anna says
Hi Georgia, can i omit the tahini?
Georgia Harding says
Yes, no problem, just leave it out G x
Hazel Hodgkins says
Consistently good, even with beef mince! Big thumbs up from the kids too.
Georgia Harding says
Fabulous Hazel, so glad you enjoy it, it’s on repeat here too G x
Sue says
What can I replace tahini with as I can’t eat sesame seeds
Georgia Harding says
Just leave it out Sue, I have done so and it’s just fine G x
Jacintha Gunasekera says
Made the veg version. Definitely 5 ⭐️
Georgia Harding says
Thanks Jacintha, so pleased you enjoyed it G x