Pastitsada – Traditional Greek Pasta and Meat Stew

Pastitsada is a traditional Greek dish from the island of Corfu, made with rooster, chicken or veal slow cooked in red wine, warming spices and a rich tomato-based sauce, then served with pasta. This authentic recipe was shared by my fellow food blogger Katerina of Culinary Flavors, who lives in Greece and has a wonderful knowledge of traditional Greek cooking. 

This authentic guest recipe was originally shared on April J Harris in 2014 by Greek food blogger Katerina of Culinary Flavors and has been updated May 2026. 

Pastitsada – About this Traditional Greek Recipe, in Katerina’s Words

Pastitsada is a savory dish coming from the beautiful island of Corfu in the Ionian Sea. Perhaps some of you may have heard of it or even visited it, since it is a very popular tourist destination. Corfu is situated in the northern part of the Ionian Sea and it has been occupied since Homer’s time. Corfu’s Greek name, Kerkyra or Korkyra, is related to two powerful water symbols: Poseidon, god of the sea, and Asopos, an important Greek mainland river.

According to myth, Poseidon fell in love with the beautiful nymph Korkyra, daughter of Asopus and abducted her. Poseidon brought Korkyra to an unnamed island and as a marital gift he offered her name to it: Korkyra, which eventually became Kerkyra in the Doric dialect. Korkyra gave birth to a child called Phaiakes after whom the inhabitants of the island were named: Phaiakes. Corfu’s nickname is The Island of the Phaecians. Myth says that it was the next to last destination of Odysseus before he arrived home.

Corfu, the island of Faiakes, is very green with some of the most beautiful beaches.

Pastitsada, one of Corfu’s most famous traditional dishes, is a stew made with rooster or veal and thick spaghetti, spaghettone as the Italians call it. It is cooked in red wine with the addition of several spices that make it special and delicious. If you cannot find rooster, try it with veal or even chicken, you will be amazed!

Thank you so much to Katerina of Culinary Flavors for this wonderful guest post and for sharing her recipe. Katerina’s goal is to bring you authentic Greek and Mediterranean flavours directly from Athens. In other words, shake up your kitchen and inspire you to try new dishes your family will love! Katerina is a mother, businesswoman and cook – all wrapped into a passionate woman who wants to share her love of cooking with others.

Greek Comfort Food At Its Best

I (April) have been lucky enough to taste Pastitsada in Athens (although sadly not Katerina’s!). I love this traditional Greek dish for its tender meat, warming spices and rich tomato sauce.

I used to be concerned about using cinnamon in savoury dishes but after our visit to Greece many years ago I realised just how flavourful it can be, particularly in combination with other spices. Although North Americans often associate cinnamon with sweet things, it works really well in savoury dishes like Patsitsada and spaghetti with meat sauce.

This rich, warmly flavoured stew is perfect for making ahead. Make the recipe up to the point where the stew is cooked, cool quickly and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently and serve over pasta which has been made just before serving.

Pastitsada – Printable Recipe

Created by: April J Harris

Pastitsada Recipe

Course Main Dish

Cuisine Mediterranean

Servings 3

Discover Pastitsada, a traditional Green recipe from Corfu featuring tender meat cooked in red wine and spices, served with pasta.

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• 2 pound veal or one rooster cut in four or one chicken cut in four
• 1 pound spaghettoni, rigatoni or any thick pasta
• 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups dry red wine
• ½ cup red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon allspice
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 2 teaspoon sugar
• ¼ cup olive oil

Instructions

• Pour the olive oil into a deep pot and sauté the meat over medium heat.
• Remove the meat from the pot and add the onion and garlic and sauté until they become soft.
• Add all the spices, sugar, salt and pepper and return the meat to the pot.
• Increase heat to high.
• Pour in the wine and vinegar.
• Let the wine and vinegar boil for one minute, then turn heat to low and let it simmer for as long as it takes for the meat to become tender and cooked through. (If you are using chicken, it will take about an hour. If you are using rooster, it will probably need an hour and a half or two hours. For the veal it is going to need more than two hours, between two and a half to three.)
• Twenty minutes before the meat is done, boil the pasta according to your liking.
• Serve the pasta on plates and on top add the meat with the sauce.

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If you enjoy Mediterranean and Greek-inspired recipes, you might also want to try my Pork Tenderloin with Lentils and Mediterranean Vegetables or my Mediterranean Beef Stew.