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Greek Pasta Bake

A creamy and flavorful Greek Pasta Bake layered with pasta, seasoned ground meat, and a rich béchamel sauce. It’s the ultimate comfort dish with Mediterranean flair in every bite.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

For the Pasta & Meat Sauce:
  • 1/2 pack bucatini perciatelli, or ziti pasta
  • 500 g ground beef
  • 1 onion finely chopped
  • 2 –3 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tomatoes grated
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/2 tsp oregano
  • Splash of red wine about 1/4 cup
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Olive oil for cooking
For the Béchamel Sauce:
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 350 ml milk
  • Salt to taste
  • Pinch of nutmeg
  • Shredded cheddar optional

Method
 

  1. Cook pasta until just shy of al dente. Drain and set aside.
  2. Heat olive oil in a pan. Add onion and cook 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and ground beef, cooking until browned.
  3. Add grated tomatoes, tomato paste, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, oregano, wine, salt, and pepper. Simmer 20–25 minutes until thickened. Remove cinnamon and bay leaf.
  4. In a saucepan, melt butter. Whisk in flour and cook 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk until smooth and thick. Season with salt and nutmeg; add cheddar if using.
  5. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). In a baking dish, layer pasta, meat sauce, then béchamel.
  6. Bake 25–30 minutes until golden and bubbling. Rest 10 minutes before slicing.