Pastitcio Baked Pasta Recipe
There’s a small family-run restaurant in the town I grew up in called Pasta Pantry. It’s a place you can run in and grab pasta to go or sit down and get a quick bite to eat. The pasta is made in-house, but everything is ready when you walk in. They have a Pastitcio there that my husband loves. I decided to see if I could create a Pastitcio Baked Pasta freezer meal.
I wasn’t sure I could pull it off at home, especially as a make-ahead meal. But I was worried that I might not be able to get rich enough flavors. Somehow, I pulled it off!
My kids love baked pasta, so I also snuck some extra veggies in there with the carrots! This ensures some extra nutrients without complaints.
I know that this is a long ingredient list and that can be intimidating. The instructions are not nearly as simple as most of our other freezer meals either, but if you’re not a beginner at freezer meals or if you aren’t afraid of a small challenge, I encourage you to give this a try. It’s not as complicated as it looks. 
Pastitcio Baked Pasta Freezer Meal Recipe:
- 500 g cavatappi pasta
- 2 lbs. ground beef, browned
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup carrots, peeled and chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
- 1/4 cup red wine
- 1 Tbsp. tomato paste
- 1 tsp. brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp. fennel seeds, crushed
- pinch salt and pepper
- pinch red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- jar Alfredo sauce
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- optional: shredded cheddar cheese for topping
Assembly instructions:
- Brown the ground beef.
- While the beef is browning, cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and rinse. Set aside.
- In a very large bowl, mix together the cooked ground beef, chopped onion, diced carrots, minced garlic, diced tomatoes, red wine, tomato paste, brown sugar, seasonings, and the first amount of Parmesan.
- Stir in the pasta.
- In another bowl, lightly beat 2 eggs and mix in the Alfredo sauce and second amount of Parmesan cheese. Fold into pasta mixture.
- Scoop everything into a freezer-safe baking dish or large resealable freezer bag. If using a casserole dish, cover with two layers of foil. If using a freezer bag, remove excess air and seal. Freeze.
Cooking instructions:
-
- Thaw.
- If desired, top with shredded cheddar cheese.
- Bake in an oven-safe dish at 350° for 1 hour. If baking from frozen, increase the cooking time by half an hour.
I had assumed that Pastitcio was an Italian dish because the restaurant we had it at is Italian, but apparently, it’s a Greek dish. Knowing that makes the spices included in the recipe make more sense.
Serve with garlic bread and a nice fresh salad.
Check out some of our other make-ahead pasta recipes:
Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo Bake
- 500 g cavatappi pasta
- 2 lbs. ground beef browned
- 1 onion chopped
- 1/2 cup carrots peeled and chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
- 1/4 cup red wine
- 1 Tbsp. tomato paste
- 1 tsp. brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp. fennel seeds crushed
- pinch salt and pepper
- pinch red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- jar Alfredo sauce
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese grated
-
Brown the ground beef.
-
While the beef is browning, cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and rinse. Set aside.
-
In a very large bowl, mix together the cooked ground beef, chopped onion, diced carrots, minced garlic, diced tomatoes, red wine, tomato paste, brown sugar, seasonings, and the first amount of Parmesan.
-
Stir in the pasta.
-
In another bowl, lightly beat 2 eggs and mix in the Alfredo sauce and second amount of Parmesan cheese. Fold into pasta mixture.
-
Scoop everything into a freezer-safe baking dish or large resealable freezer bag. If using a casserole dish, cover with two layers of foil. If using a freezer bag, remove excess air and seal. Freeze.
-
Thaw.
-
Bake in an oven-safe dish at 350° for 1 hour. If baking from frozen, increase the cooking time by half an hour.
If desired, top with shredded Cheddar cheese before baking.
