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Stove Top Pastitsio

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This stove top Pastitsio is a simple and light version of the very traditional Greek pasta dish.

All the flavors of my traditional Pastitsio in a fraction of the time and with minimal effort!

Stove Top Pastitsio made with Greek Yogurt

This stovetop pastitsio recipe is a savory meal that the whole family will enjoy. Making my own quick, easy, and lighter version of the more traditional Greek recipe, the end results are just as fabulous. The meat sauce comes together quickly while the pasta is boiling. The egg-laden white sauce is omitted and replaced with a bit of heavy cream and plain Greek yogurt.

This fast meal is going to become your next go-to favorite. Made in a fraction of the time it tastes pretty close to an authentic Greek pastitsio recipe but without all of the added time and work. Go ahead and try it soon by serving a nice side dish of homemade Greek Salad or serve it up with some tasty freshly cooked Greek Green Beans. Adding in a little green with veggies will make your plates feel more complete.

What is Pastitsio?

This easy pastitsio recipe is a delicious Greek recipe that is assembled similarly to a lasagna in that it has meat, sauce, and noodle layers, but the differences are also quite vast. the cinnamon-infused meat is close to a Cincinnati chili in taste, there’s a white bechamel sauce and the overall taste is heavenly. Traditionally this meal takes hours of prep and is a very heavy meal. Our version, however, is much lighter, faster, and perfect for a quick stovetop meal so you don’t have to be on your feet for hours.

Stove Top Pastitsio with Greek Yogurt

Ingredients

  • Lean ground sirloin
  • Diced onion
  • Minced garlic
  • Tomato paste
  • ground nutmeg
  • McCormick Greek seasoning
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Heavy cream
  • Plain Greek yogurt
  • Penne pasta
  • Grated Parmesan cheese

For the exact amounts needed, please see the recipe card below.

How to Make Stove Top Pastitsio

  1. Prepare your pasta according to the package instructions.
  2. In a large skillet, brown your ground beef.
  3. Add in the onions and garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes or until the meat is no longer pink.
  4. Stir in the tomato paste, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and greek seasoning.
  5. Add in the heavy cream and Greek yogurt, stirring until well mixed.
  6. reduce the heat and cook until the sauce is thick. this should be about one minute.
  7. drain your pasta and reserve 1 cup of the pasta water.
  8. Combine the pasta, reserved water, and ground beef mixture.
  9. Add in some parmesan cheese just before serving.
  10. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Stove Top Pastitsio with Greek Yogurt

Recipe Tips

  • I use Chobani Greek Yogurt for the sauce but any plain unflavored and unsweetened Greek yogurt will do. Even sour cream can be used if you don’t have Greek yogurt on hand.
  • Greek seasoning should be available in your local grocery store. McCormick makes a great blend, but if you cant find any Greek seasoning, you can simply use Italian seasoning instead. The recipe will not taste exactly the same but Italian Seasoning will still give you some great taste.
  • Leftovers can be kept stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat before serving.

FAQs

What to serve with Pastitsio

Some great side dishes to include serving alongside your pastitsio is some bread and salad. Choose a nice Greek bread like challah and maybe a simple greek salad made with mixed greens. These will really help to make the dish feel more filling and well-rounded.

Can I freeze leftover pastitsio?

Absolutely! You can store your leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Then thaw for a few hours on the counter or overnight in the fridge before reheating and serving warm.

How to reheat pastitsio

If reheating a single portion or two, use the microwave as that will be the fastest method. Simply place a portion on a plate and microwave for 1-3 minutes, stirring halfway to help distribute the heat. For a larger portion, place the pasta in a baking dish in the oven at 350 degrees f until heated through. This could take up to 30 minutes but check after about 15 minutes.

For more delicious pasta recipes, check out my Pesto Pasta Recipe with Spaghetti, Baked Chicken Parmesan Pasta, and my Creamy Lemon Pasta.

Yield: 8 servings

Stove Top Pastitsio

Stove Top Pastitsio made with Greek Yogurt

This stove top Pastitsio is a simple and light version of the very traditional Greek pasta dish.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 pound lean ground sirloin
  • 1/4 cup diced onion
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 4 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon McCormick Greek seasoning
  • Salt, pepper
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt such as Chobani
  • 1 lb penne pasta
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

  1. Prepare pasta according to package direction.
  2. Heat ground beef in a large skillet until browned. Add onions and garlic and cook another 2 minutes or until meat is no longer pink. Stir in tomato paste, salt, pepper, nutmeg and Greek seasoning. Add heavy cream and Greek yogurt stirring until well blended. Reduce heat and cook until thick, about 1 minute.
  3. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup of cooking liquid. Combine pasta, water and ground beef mixture. Add Parmesan cheese just before serving. Serve immediately

Nutrition Information

Yield

8

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 316Total Fat 14gSaturated Fat 7gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 70mgSodium 387mgCarbohydrates 24gFiber 2gSugar 4gProtein 24g

How much do you LOVE this recipe?

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© Tanya Schroeder
Cuisine: Greek / Category: Savory
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Tanya Schroeder

About Tanya Schroeder

Tanya is a full time wife and mom, a part time chef/baker, and a wanna be photographer! Tanya believes every once in a while, dessert should be eaten first! Hope you like what you see!

Comments

  3. Jen Nikolaus says

    Oh! My kind of recipe!! Easy, healthier and yum! I’ve made a similar sort of dish and my boys loved it so I’m definitely going to try this! Thanks for sharing, Tanya!

    Reply

  8. cindyeikenberg says

    Tanya, this looks and sounds so delicious and I’ve never tried this before – but I will now! 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful recipe. Pinning and buffering!

    Reply

  17. Patricia Krank says

    This looks so amazing. I’m actually torturing myself by coming over to see what the ingredients are because my hubby has called for a no-carb diet for awhile! Ugh! I may have to make this while he is away at work! Thanks for sharing your recipe and blessings to you, Patti@OldThingsNew

    Reply

  19. cookingwithcurls says

    OMG…Pastitsio is my absolute FAVORITE dish!!! I used to get it every time we went to The Greek Place, the one that closed last year 🙁 I am soooo totally going to try this!!! I will miss the billowy top however 🙂

    Reply

  25. Leslie Gagne says

    OMG! My best friend has turned me into a Greek….. Love it and all of the Greek cooking! I’ve actually made some the wonderful Greek pastries. The recipes was from her mother and they were almost a century old.

    Reply

  26. Mary says

    Looks delicious. I am making it this week. Just wondering if that is “¼ CUP plain Greek yogurt such as Chobani”?

    Reply

  31. Sandra says

    Pastitsio has always been a favorite. Yum! I don’t have Greek Seasoning. Can you recommend individual herbs and spices? I have Cavenders, which I figure might suffice. Thanks!

    Reply

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