Perfect Pastitsio (Vegetarian) |
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Prep Time: 35 Minutes Cook Time: 40 Minutes |
Ready In: 75 Minutes Servings: 8 |
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Have never eaten Pastitsio (a traditional Greek dish) before and was grateful to have found one I could eat. This looks like a great one-dish meal, and takes less time to make than you might expect. It's described as a great party dish, and leftovers can be reheated and eaten a day or two later. From Vegetarian Times Cooks Mediterranean. Have not tried this recipe yet. Update: Tried this the other night. It makes a lot of food, but leftovers are quite good. Mine didn't turn out too dry with 1 cup of tomato sauce, but do add more tomato sauce or fresh tomatoes if you wish. Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil |
1 large onion, minced |
2 (14 ounce) packages vegetarian ground beef |
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce, canned |
1/2 cup dry red wine |
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon |
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg or 1/8 teaspoon allspice |
salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste |
1 lb ziti pasta or 1 lb elbow macaroni |
5 cups milk |
5 tablespoons cornstarch |
1/4 cup water |
1 cup freshly grated kefalotiri (separated) or 1 cup parmesan cheese (separated) |
3 large eggs |
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit.
2. In large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until golden brown, about 7 minutes.
3. Add beef substitute, chopping into small bits. Cook until browned, about 5 minutes.
4. Add tomato sauce, red wine and spice, stirring to mix.
5. Simmer, uncovered, until the excess moisture has evaporated, about 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
6. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions, drain and set aside.
7. In large saucepan, bring milk to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium.
8. Dissolve the cornstarch in water, then add to milk in a thin stream, whisking constantly to avoid lumps.
9. Cook, whisking, until mixture has returned to a boil and is thickened, 2-3 minutes. Remove pan from heat and stir in 3/4 cup of the cheese.
10. In separate bowl, beat eggs until light and very frothy. Add to cheese sauce in a thin stream, whisking constantly. Add salt and pepper to taste and combine with cooked pasta in a large bowl.
11. Lightly oil an 11x15x2 inch casserole dish. Spoon in half the pasta/cheese mixture. Top with meat substitute mixture, then with remaining pasta/cheese mixture. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese.
12. Bake until casserole is golden brown and bubbling, about 40 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes before slicing and serving.
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