Photo: Akis Petretzikis

Pastitsada: Corfu’s Spiced Beef Stew Served Over Thick Pasta

by · Greek City Times

SYDNEY, November 2026 — Pastitsada, the slow-cooked beef in a cinnamon-scented tomato sauce that Corfu serves over thick pasta, is easier to make at home than its long list of spices suggests, and Akis Petretzikis has shared a version that serves eight.

Pastitsada, a traditional dish of Corfu. Photo: Akis Petretzikis

What is pastitsada?

Pastitsada is meat braised in a spiced tomato sauce and served over pasta. According to Wikipedia, it is a traditional Sunday dinner on Corfu, where it is sometimes called pastitsada Korfiatiki.

The name points to the island’s Italian past. It comes from the Venetian word pastizzada, used for a family of braised meat dishes, and it is a reminder of the four centuries of Venetian rule in the Ionian Islands. On the island, cooks make it with beef, veal or rooster.

It is not the same dish as pastitsio, the layered pasta bake with béchamel. Greek City Times has explored pastitsio’s Italian name and Greek soul before. Here, by contrast, the pasta and the meat are cooked separately and only meet on the plate.

Read more: Makaronia Me Kima: A Baked Greek Pasta With Cinnamon Meat Sauce

Visitors who have eaten their way around the island will know it from tavernas, alongside sofrito and bourdeto. Our guide to Kerkyra, the queen of the Ionian Sea lists it among Corfu’s most famous dishes.

The spetseriko spice blend

What sets this Corfiot beef stew apart is spetseriko, a local blend of warm and sweet spices. Families each have their own mix. Akis Petretzikis, the Greek chef and television presenter, uses cumin, two kinds of paprika, cinnamon, cloves, allspice and nutmeg, plus a spoonful of sugar to round off the acidity of the tomato.

His recipe takes about 30 minutes to prepare and 2 hours and 20 minutes to cook. Most of that is gentle simmering, so the pot looks after itself while the beef softens.

Ingredients for 8 serves

For the spetseriko (spice blend)

  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

For the beef

  • 1,200 g beef chuck (shoulder), cut into large pieces
  • 3 large onions
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 150 g red wine
  • 600 g water
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • Salt
  • Pepper

For the pasta and to serve

  • 500 g No. 3 hollow spaghetti (bucatini)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Salt
  • Dry mizithra cheese, grated, to serve

How to make pastitsada

First, mix the spices so they are ready when the beef hits the pan.

  1. Put the cumin, both paprikas, the cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg and sugar in a bowl and stir with a spoon until evenly combined.
  2. Set the spice mix aside.
  3. Put the beef in a bowl, season with salt and pepper, mix with your hands and set aside.
  4. Peel the onions and garlic, cut them into thick slices and set aside.
  5. Set a large pot over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and let it get very hot.
  6. Add the meat and sear for about 3 minutes, until it is lightly golden underneath.
  7. Turn the pieces over with tongs and sprinkle them with the spice mix.
  8. Add the onions, garlic and bay leaves.
  9. Pour in the wine and let the alcohol cook off.
  10. Pour the water into a jug, stir in the tomato paste until it dissolves, then add it to the pot.
  11. Season with salt, put the lid on and bring to the boil.
  12. Turn the heat right down and cook for 2 hours, until the meat is tender and the sauce has thickened. About 20 minutes before the end, start on the pasta.
  13. Take the pot off the heat and set it aside.

Cook the pasta and bring it together

Meanwhile, as the beef finishes, get the pasta going.

  1. Fill a pot three-quarters full with water, set it over high heat and bring to the boil.
  2. Add salt and the pasta and cook according to the packet instructions, stirring with a ladle now and then so it does not stick.
  3. Take the pot off the heat, drain the pasta and return it to the pot.
  4. Drizzle with the olive oil, toss, then divide the pasta among plates.
  5. Top with the meat and spoon over the sauce.
  6. Sprinkle with the grated mizithra and serve.

Tips for serving

Because the sauce does most of the work in pastitsada, choose a sturdy pasta. Thick, hollow spaghetti is traditional, as it holds the sauce inside as well as out, although thick spaghetti also works.

For the cheese, dry, salty mizithra is the classic finish. If it is hard to find, a sharp grating cheese such as kefalotyri makes a good substitute. According to the nutrition panel on the chef’s site, each serve comes to about 812 calories.

Like most stews, pastitsada tastes even better the next day, once the spices have settled. Therefore, it is worth cooking the beef a day ahead and boiling the pasta fresh just before dinner.

For another taste of the island, try our recipe for the Corfu speciality manestra collu pimpiri. The original Greek recipe on Akis Petretzikis’s official site also includes his video.

Source: Akis Petretzikis

Stay connected to Greek City Times for Free on Google News
Click NOW
Stay updated with the latest news from Greece and around the world on greekcitytimes.com.
Contact our newsroom to share your updates, stories, photos, or videos. Follow GCT on WhatsApp, Google News and Apple News.

Related coverage

Advertising