Italian-Style Pastitsio
An Italian spin on traditional Greek pastitsio with layers of pasta, meat, cream sauce, and cheese. A rich recipe perfect for company!
Greek pastitsio had been on my to-make list for ages, and I finally made it last October to much fanfare. If you’ve never had it, it’s a very rich dish with layers of pasta mixed with eggs, spiced lamb tomato sauce, béchamel, and then topped off with bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. It is utterly amazing.
The problem?
Not really a problem, but I loved it so much I wanted to recreate it with an Italian spin for our Sunday dinners. It was a massive hit, and even easier to assemble than its Greek cousin. Win-win!
So, what makes this Italian version different from the original Greek one I made last year?
First, we’re using spaghetti instead of penne. Then, in place of a spiced lamb tomato sauce, we’re making an Italian sausage meat sauce that we’re turning pink with a little bit of heavy cream. In lieu of a traditional béchamel sauce, we simply melt together cream cheese and cottage cheese. Finally, we’re topping the whole thing off with lots of fresh mozzarella and basil.
If you think this sounds extremely rich, you’d be correct. It’s definitely not a meal you’d eat every single weeknight, but it’s an absolutely fantastic recipe for a special occasion, Sunday dinner, or company. It is definitely an all-in-one meal – just add a tossed salad and a loaf of crusty Italian bread.
I’m thrilled to have another baked pasta recipe to add to my collection. It’s my favorite kind of comfort food!
Three years ago: Hot Apple Cider Rum Punch
Four years ago: Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Five years ago: Cumin and Fennel-Crusted Roast Lamb
Nine years ago: Sweet Dinner Rolls
Italian-Style Pastitsio
Ingredients
For the Pasta Layer:
- 1 pound (453.59 g) spaghetti
- 4 eggs
- 4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
- ½ cup (50 g) grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup (113.5 g) salted butter, cut into small cubes
For the Cream Layer:
- 8 ounces (226.8 g) cottage cheese
- 8 ounces (226.8 g) cream cheese, at room temperature
For the Meat Sauce Layer:
- 1 pound (453.59 g) ground sweet Italian sausage
- 3 cups (735 ml) pasta sauce (your favorite homemade or store-bought)
- ¼ cup (59.5 ml) heavy whipping cream
For the Topping:
- 16 ounces (453.59 g) fresh mozzarella cheese, drained, blotted dry and sliced
- 2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- Cook the spaghetti to al dente as directed on package. Meanwhile, in medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, parsley and Parmesan cheese. Drain the spaghetti, and put it back to the hot pot. Add the butter and the egg mixture to the spaghetti, and quickly stir with a wooden spoon until evenly coated and the eggs have formed a sauce. Pour the spaghetti into the prepared baking dish and smooth into an even layer.
- Add the cottage cheese and cream cheese to the pot (off the heat) and stir with a wooden spoon until the cream cheese is melted down and the mixture is completely combined. Pour the cream cheese mixture over the spaghetti layer in the pan, and spread it into an even layer.
- Heat a medium skillet over medium heat and brown the sausage, breaking it up while it cooks, until it's no longer pink in the middle. Remove from heat, use a slotted spoon to transfer the sausage to the now-empty pot, and stir in the pasta sauce and heavy cream. Spread the mixture over the cream cheese layer.
- Lay the slices of mozzarella over top of the sausage layer. Bake until the filling the bubbling and the cheese is melted and lightly browned on top, 30 to 45 minutes. Sprinkle with the basil. Allow to sit for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
I made this tonight for my family and it was DELICIOUS!!! Definitely a keeper.
The only change I made was adding a little bit of minced garlic to the whisked egg mixture. We love garlic!! GREAT RECIPE!!!
OMG! LOL my mom has made this for years and it is huge hit with my family as well we call it Poor Mans Lasagna!!!!
Holy cow I must make this!
This was delicious. Another recipe from Michelle that did not disappoint.
Hey there! Congratulations on your new baby! What an exciting time for your family :) I made this last night for dinner with some substitutions and additions to make it a little less heavy and it was great! Here’s what I changed in case anyone is interested:
-whole wheat rotini for spaghetti
-hot Italian turkey sausage for sweet italian sausage
-reduced-fat or non-fat versions for almost all the dairy products
-added about 10 oz fresh spinach to the pasta before baking
-added a tsp of dried basil to the egg mixture because I couldn’t find fresh, should have added more!
My husband and I looooved this meal. It was so cheesy and delicious- the perfect comfort food for chilly fall nights! Our substitutions didn’t exactly make it a super “healthy” dinner, but at least we didn’t have to air lift ourselves up the stairs for bed. The cream cheese/cottage cheese was a little tangy for my taste, but my husband loved it. I think next time I will try subbing in 16 oz ricotta. Two thumbs up! Thanks for the recipe!
Saw this yesterday and it gave me dinner inspiration! I had to change it up some based on what I had on hand, and my unwillingness to stop at the store. :) I used gemelli pasta instead of spaghetti, ground beef instead of sausage, and I shredded a pound of part skim, block mozzarella for the top. To my tomato sauce and beef mixture, I added some Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes. I didn’t have any cream, so didn’t try and substitute anything for it. My tweaked version was delicious! My family of 4 ate 3/4 of the pan! And I brought some of the leftovers to work for lunch today. Thanks for sharing your take on pastitsio so I could put my own spin on it!
Congratulations on your new baby boy!! He is beautiful!!!
I am wondering why you used cottage cheese instead of ricotta? I am not a fan of cottage cheese. Do you think I could substitute ricotta?
Hi Tracey, Thank you so much! I saw cottage cheese used in a few difference recipes, but I think you could use ricotta without an issue. Enjoy!
I was a little surprised to see cottage cheese myself. But I did use it and well. With the flavor of the cream cheeses, you taste the cottage cheese, and it adds to the creaminess of that layer.
This looks phenomenal! beautiful presentation as well!
This looks outrageously delicious! Do you think it will freeze well?
Hi Paula, I think it would!
Looks very delicious. I love to eat Mediterranean dishes. Yeah,this meal it’s definetly for a special occasion.
I remember watching Mario Batali make a pasticcio recipe on his Molto Mario show. I wondered if you’d ever seen this take on it. https://www.google.com/amp/www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/mario-batali/pasticcio-recipe.amp.html
Congratulations again on your beautiful baby. I hope you’re getting some rest and recuperating nicely. This recipe looks amazing. I am wondering if you used a meat sauce or meatless sauce when you say to use your favorite sauce recipe. Would your father in laws pasta sauce work for this? If so, once again, with or without meat? I don’t expect an immediate response as I assume you are taking care of yourself and your family. Best wishes!
Hi Marla, Yes, I used my father-in-law’s sauce. You could use a meat sauce or meatless – whichever you prefer! And thank you! :)