Name: Pastitsada
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 2 h 15 min
Total time: 2 h 40 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 1.5 kg rooster or stewing beef, cut into large pieces; 100 ml extra virgin olive oil; 3 large onions, finely chopped; 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 150 ml red wine; 2 tbsp red wine vinegar; 2 tbsp tomato purée; 400 g chopped or grated ripe tomatoes; 1 tsp sugar; 500-600 g thick macaroni, bucatini or other thick pasta; Salt to taste; Grated kefalotyri, dry mizithra or Parmesan-style hard cheese, to serve; 1 tsp sweet paprika; 1/2 tsp hot paprika or chilli flakes; 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon; 1/4 tsp ground cloves; 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg; 1/4 tsp ground allspice; 1/4 tsp ground cumin; 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper; 2 bay leaves

About Pastitsada

Pastitsada is one of the defining dishes of Corfu: slow-cooked meat in a dark, aromatic red sauce scented with the island's characteristic spetseriko spice blend, served over thick pasta. In Corfu Town it is traditionally associated with beef, while village versions are especially associated with rooster. This version is designed for a UK home kitchen while staying close to documented Corfiot methods.

Ingredients

For the pastitsada

1.5 kg rooster or stewing beef, cut into large pieces
100 ml extra virgin olive oil
3 large onions, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
150 ml red wine
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp tomato purée
400 g chopped or grated ripe tomatoes
1 tsp sugar
500-600 g thick macaroni, bucatini or other thick pasta
Salt to taste
Grated kefalotyri, dry mizithra or Parmesan-style hard cheese, to serve

For the spetseriko-style spice mix

1 tsp sweet paprika
1/2 tsp hot paprika or chilli flakes
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 bay leaves

Corfiot spetseriko varies from family to family, so there is no single universal blend. The important character is the combination of warm spices, paprika and pepper.

Method

Pat the meat dry and season lightly with salt. Heat the olive oil in a heavy casserole and brown the meat well in batches. Remove and set aside.
Lower the heat, add the onions and cook slowly until softened and beginning to colour. Add the garlic and cook briefly without burning it.
Return the meat to the pan. Add the spice mixture and bay leaves and stir for about a minute so the spices become fragrant.
Pour in the red wine and vinegar. Let them bubble for several minutes, scraping the base of the pan.
Stir in the tomato purée, tomatoes and sugar. Add enough hot water to come most of the way up the meat without flooding it.
Bring to a gentle simmer. Cover loosely and cook over low heat for about 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours, or until the meat is very tender. Stir occasionally and add a splash of hot water only if necessary.
During the final part of cooking, uncover the pan and allow the sauce to reduce until very thick, dark and intensely flavoured. Adjust the salt.
Cook the thick pasta in well-salted water until just short of done. Drain it, reserving a little cooking water.
For extra flavour, toss the pasta through some of the pastitsada sauce for its final minute or two of cooking. Loosen with a spoonful of pasta water only if needed.
Serve the pasta with the meat and plenty of the thick sauce, finishing with grated hard cheese.

Plan your visit

Recipe tips

Rooster is the classic village choice, but stewing beef is authentic too and much easier to find in the UK.
Do not rush the sauce. A hallmark of a good pastitsada is its deep colour and very thick consistency.
Spetseriko is not one fixed recipe. Corfiot families and spice sellers use different proportions and sometimes additional spices.
Use thick pasta that can stand up to the powerful sauce. Bucatini or thick macaroni work particularly well.
The dish is excellent made a day ahead: chill the meat and sauce, then reheat gently and cook fresh pasta before serving.

What to serve with it

Pastitsada is substantial, so keep the rest of the meal simple. Serve it with a crisp green or Greek-style salad, good bread and, if you drink wine, a robust red. Finish with fruit or a small Corfiot sweet rather than another heavy course.

The story behind the dish

Pastitsada is closely woven into Corfiot food culture and is traditionally associated with Sundays, celebrations and formal family meals. Corfu's long Venetian period helped shape an island cuisine noticeably different from that of mainland Greece. The hallmark of pastitsada is spetseriko, the aromatic mixture of spices used to give the sauce its unmistakable character. Historical and modern Corfiot versions vary considerably: beef is strongly associated with the town, while rooster is a classic rural preparation. What remains consistent is the slow cooking, the warm spices and the thick sauce served with pasta.

Where to try it in Corfu

Pastitsada is widely served across Corfu, but there are some particularly interesting places to try it. Klimataria (Bellos) in Benitses is closely associated with the dish and has become known for its seafood interpretation, including octopus pastitsada. Panorama Restaurant in Afionas currently serves a modern Corfiot pastitsada with slow-cooked beef, red wine, spices and paccheri pasta. Avli Restaurant in Corfu Town also lists traditional beef pastitsada. Recipes vary considerably, so trying more than one version is part of the experience.

Pastitsada