Greek Baked Pastitsada with Rabbit and Red Wine

Name: Greek Baked Pastitsada with Rabbit and Red Wine
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h 45 min
Total time: 2 h 5 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: 3 lb (1.4 kg) rabbit, cut into 8 pieces (thighs, legs, saddle), patted dry; 1½ tsp (9 g) kosher salt; ¾ tsp (1½ g) freshly ground black pepper; 3 tbsp (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil; 12 oz (340 g) pearl onions, peeled, blanched 1 minute and peeled; 4 cloves (20 g) garlic cloves, minced; 2 tbsp (30 g) tomato paste; 1½ cup (360 ml) dry red wine (Xinomavro or similar Greek red); 1 cup (240 ml) low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock; 2 whole (2 g) bay leaves; ½ tsp (1 g) ground cinnamon; 1½ tsp (1 g) dried oregano (preferably Greek); 12 oz (340 g) penne pasta; 3 oz (85 g) feta cheese, crumbled, crumbled; 2 oz (60 g) Pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated, finely grated

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A rustic Greek baked pasta dish where tender rabbit is braised in a deep red wine sauce with pearl onions, tomato paste, and warming spices, then combined with penne and baked until bubbling. This is Sunday supper comfort food from the Greek islands—earthy, wine-rich, and deeply satisfying.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 1 hr 45 min
Wait: 15 min
Total: 2 hr 20 min
Makes: 4 servings (about 2 cups per serving)

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Ingredients

4 servings

3 lb (1.4 kg) rabbit, cut into 8 pieces (thighs, legs, saddle), patted dry
1½ tsp (9 g) kosher salt
¾ tsp (1.5 g) freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
12 oz (340 g) pearl onions, peeled, blanched 1 minute and peeled
4 cloves (20 g) garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp (30 g) tomato paste
1½ cup (360 ml) dry red wine (Xinomavro or similar Greek red)
1 cup (240 ml) low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
2 whole (2 g) bay leaves
½ tsp (1 g) ground cinnamon
1½ tsp (1 g) dried oregano (preferably Greek)
12 oz (340 g) penne pasta
3 oz (85 g) feta cheese, crumbled, crumbled
2 oz (60 g) Pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated, finely grated

Equipment (7)

Large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or braising pan (5-quart / 5-liter minimum)
Large pot for pasta (6-quart / 6-liter)
9×13-inch (23×33 cm) baking dish
Measuring spoons and cups
Tongs
Wooden spoon
Colander

Steps

Before you start

Pat the rabbit dry with paper towels to help it brown properly.
Peel the pearl onions by blanching them in boiling water for 1 minute, then letting them cool so the skins slip off easily.
Preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C) before you begin browning the meat.
Have your red wine and stock ready to add—no rushing.

1
Brown the rabbit
- Season the rabbit pieces on both sides with 1 tsp kosher salt and ½ tsp black pepper.
- Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering (about 2 minutes).
- Working in batches to avoid crowding, brown the rabbit pieces for 3–4 minutes per side until golden; transfer to a plate.
- This step develops deep flavor—don't skip it, and don't move the pieces too early.
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Ready when: Rabbit is deeply golden on both sides, not raw-looking
Tip: Let each piece sit undisturbed for 3 minutes before flipping so the exterior develops a crust.
2
Sauté aromatics
- Add the peeled pearl onions to the same Dutch oven and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften and color slightly.
- Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- The bottom of the pot will have flavorful browned bits—this is good.
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Ready when: Garlic is fragrant and onions are starting to turn golden
Tip: Don't let garlic burn; it will taste bitter. If the pan seems very dark, add the tomato paste immediately to cool it down.
3
Build the sauce base
- Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Pour in the red wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot—these are full of flavor.
- Bring the wine to a boil and let it bubble for 1 minute to burn off some of the alcohol and concentrate flavor.
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Ready when: Wine is boiling and the liquid is noticeably reduced by about one-quarter
Tip: Deglazing the pot captures all the savory depth—don't rush this step.
4
Braise the rabbitOven 325°F / 165°C
- Return the rabbit pieces to the Dutch oven, nestling them among the onions.
- Pour in the chicken stock.
- Add the bay leaves, cinnamon, and oregano.
- The liquid should come halfway to two-thirds up the sides of the rabbit.
- Bring to a bare simmer over medium heat, then cover with a lid and transfer to the preheated 325°F (160°C) oven.
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Ready when: Rabbit meat pulls easily from the bone when prodded with a fork, and sauce is dark and glossy
Tip: Check after 40 minutes—if the liquid level has dropped dramatically, add ¼ cup more stock. The sauce should be rich and syrupy, not soupy.
5
Cook the pasta
- While the rabbit braises, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (6 quarts / 6 liters).
- Add the penne and cook according to package directions until just al dente, about 9–11 minutes.
- Drain in a colander but do not rinse; the starch helps the pasta bind with the sauce.
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Ready when: Pasta is tender but still has a slight firmness when bitten
Tip: Start timing as soon as the water returns to a boil after you add the pasta. Tasting is the only reliable way to check doneness—don't trust the box time exactly.
6
Combine rabbit and pasta
- Remove the Dutch oven from the oven.
- The rabbit should be fork-tender and the sauce rich and coating the meat.
- Discard the bay leaves.
- Using tongs, transfer the rabbit pieces to a cutting board and let cool for 2 minutes.
- Pull the meat from the bones in bite-sized pieces, discarding the bones.
- Return the shredded meat to the pot with the sauce and pearl onions.
- Stir in the cooked penne until well combined.
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Ready when: Meat shreds easily from bones and all ingredients are mixed together
Tip: Don't discard the bones—they've given all their flavor to the sauce. The shredded meat will be much easier to eat in a baked pasta.
7
Transfer to baking dish
- Pour the rabbit, pasta, sauce, and onions into a 9×13-inch (23×33 cm) baking dish.
- Spread evenly, breaking up any clumps.
- There should be a good amount of sauce visible—it's okay if it looks a bit loose; it will reduce and concentrate in the oven.
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Ready when: Everything is spread in an even layer
Tip: If the mixture seems very dry, add a few tablespoons of stock to prevent the pasta from drying out while baking.
8
Top and bakeOven 375°F / 190°C
- Scatter the crumbled feta cheese over the top, then sprinkle the grated Pecorino Romano evenly across the surface.
- Increase the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C).
- Bake uncovered for 25–30 minutes until the top is golden brown and the sauce is bubbling around the edges.
- A golden crust should form on top.
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Ready when: Top is golden to light brown, and you can see the sauce bubbling at the edges of the dish
Tip: If the top browns too quickly before the center is hot (before 20 minutes), tent with foil for the remaining time.
9
Rest and serve
- Remove the baking dish from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes.
- This allows the sauce to set slightly and makes serving cleaner.
- Divide into bowls or plates and spoon extra sauce over each serving.
- Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if needed.
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Ready when: Steam has mostly subsided and the dish is still hot when plated
Tip: Resting matters—it lets the flavors settle and the sauce thicken enough to cling to the pasta.

Good to know

Tips

Rabbit meat is lean, so don't overcook it—braising keeps it from drying out. The meat is done when it shreds easily from the bone but still looks pink near the bone (it continues to cook as it braises).
If fresh pearl onions are impossible to find, frozen peeled pearl onions work fine—no blanching needed. Thaw them completely and pat dry before using.
The wine sauce is the soul of this dish. Don't rush the braising or the final baking—the sauce should be glossy and coat the back of a spoon before it hits the pasta.
This is a forgiving dish; if you prefer more sauce (rather than a drier baked pasta), add an extra ¼ cup of stock when combining the rabbit and pasta in step 6.

Make ahead

Prepare the rabbit and vegetable mixture up to the point of baking (after step 7) up to 24 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature for 20 minutes, then proceed to step 8, adding 5 extra minutes to the baking time.

Storage & reheating

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a 325°F (160°C) oven, covered, for 15–20 minutes until warmed through, adding a splash of stock if the dish has dried out. The pastitsada can be frozen (without the cheese topping) for up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat as above, then top with fresh cheese before serving.

Substitutions

rabbit, cut into 8 pieces (thighs, legs, saddle) → chicken thighs or guinea fowl, cut into similar pieces. Both are leaner and more readily available. Reduce the braising time by 10 minutes; the meat should be very tender but not falling apart.
dry red wine (Xinomavro or similar Greek red) → dry red wine (Cabernet Sauvignon, Côtes du Rhône, or Merlot). Use whatever dry red wine you would drink. Xinomavro is traditional but hard to find outside Greece; these alternatives give a similar earthiness.
feta cheese, crumbled → mizithra or kasseri cheese. These Greek cheeses are traditional and will give a more authentic result, though feta is more commonly available and still delicious.
pearl onions, peeled → small shallots, halved if large. Shallots are easier to find and peel; they'll cook slightly faster, so check for tenderness around 45 minutes.