The Art of Oven Baking: From Classic Pastitsio to Creamy Chicken Casserole

There are certain foods that have become completely associated with the idea of “comfort” and the warmth of home. At the top of this list—at least in Greek reality—stands pastitsio. It’s the ultimate comfort food: the baking dish that no child or adult has ever been able to resist. However, when a dish includes pasta and a name whose etymology isn’t clearly defined in Greek (as happens with gemista or kokkinisto), its roots must be sought further west.

The journey from Venice to Tselementes

Its name and its basic components—meat sauce and pasta—point to a truly Italian origin. Historical evidence suggests that various versions of pastitsio reached Greece through the Ionian Islands, which were strongly influenced by Venetian rule. That’s why we find exceptional local variations, such as in Corfu, where pastitsio is wrapped in pastry sheets and often includes tomato sauce, boiled eggs, salami, or pieces of meat instead of minced meat. Similarly, in Kythira, the Venetian-style pastitsio—traditionally served on Carnival Sunday—includes sweet dough, liver, and minced meat.

The version we know and love today, however, is credited to Nikolaos Tselementes. This influential Greek chef, aiming to “Europeanize” Greek cuisine, was inspired to add velvety béchamel sauce, creating a version that has since been written into our DNA as purely Greek.

The secrets of success and the “sacrilege” of ingredients

Although older home cooks swore by thick macaroni, modern trends are more flexible. Once, the New York Times’ choice to present a dish with lamb and penne as “Greek pastitsio” caused a storm of reactions, but today penne and rigatoni are considered excellent choices that hold the sauce beautifully.

A key secret to boosting flavor has to do with assembly. Instead of strictly layering, try mixing the pasta with the meat sauce. That way, the flavor spreads into every bite. Also, to help the pasta “bind” so the slice doesn’t fall apart when cut, there’s a trick: keep the egg whites from the eggs you’ll use in the béchamel, lightly whisk them, and mix them into the cooked pasta. Finally, add a heaping ladle of béchamel into the pasta-and-meat mixture before arranging it in the baking dish.

Ingredients for classic Pastitsio

400 g penne or thick macaroni

For the meat sauce:

• 500 g ground beef
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 glass wine
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 3–4 grated tomatoes (or canned chopped tomatoes)
• 4–5 allspice berries, a little cinnamon, salt, pepper
• Olive oil and 5–6 sprigs parsley, finely chopped

For the béchamel:

• 100 g butter
• 100 g all-purpose flour
• 1 liter milk
• 2 egg yolks (save the whites for the pasta)
• 150 g grated kefalotyri cheese and a little nutmeg

Method

Start with the meat sauce: sauté the onion in a little water until softened, then add the oil. Add the ground beef and break it up well with a wooden spoon. “Toast” the tomato paste in the pot, stir, and deglaze with the wine. Add the tomato, spices, and parsley and let the sauce simmer on low heat until it thickens. Remove the whole spices at the end.

For the béchamel: melt the butter and lightly toast the flour. Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly until thickened. Remove from heat and add the yolks, nutmeg, salt and pepper, and 2/3 of the cheese.

Boil the pasta for a little less than the time stated on the package. Mix it with the lightly beaten egg whites. Combine the pasta with the ready meat sauce and one ladle of béchamel, then spread it into the baking dish. Pour over the remaining béchamel, sprinkle with the rest of the cheese, and bake at 180°C for about 50 minutes.

A modern version: Chicken Noodle Casserole

If you have leftover chicken and want something different from the usual, modern cooking offers alternatives that resemble the popular “Marry Me Chicken.” This is a dish where chicken meets pasta in a rich sauce with sun-dried tomatoes and garlic, topped with a crispy crust.

Ingredients for the chicken version

• 170 g wide egg noodles (such as hilopites or pappardelle)
• 2 tbsp olive oil and 2 tbsp butter
• 1 cup shallots, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp garlic, finely chopped, and 1 tbsp fresh thyme
• A little chili flakes (boukovο)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 can chicken stock (about 400 ml)
• 3/4 cup whole milk and 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil (drained and chopped)
• 2 1/2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs (or regular breadcrumbs)

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C and butter a baking dish. Boil the pasta 1–2 minutes less than normal, drain it, and cool it with water.

In a large pan, heat the oil with the butter and sauté the shallots until softened. Add the garlic, chili flakes, and thyme for a few seconds. Add the flour and stir for 2 minutes to cook it. Add the stock, milk, cream, and sun-dried tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, and simmer until the sauce thickens (4–5 minutes).

Finally, mix in the chicken, pasta, and half a cup of Parmesan. Transfer the mixture to the baking dish. Before baking, if you want a crispier texture, mix the remaining Parmesan with the breadcrumbs and sprinkle over the top. Bake until golden and a crust forms.