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
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