Pastitsio is originally a Greek favourite, but I’d say this recipe is a bit of an adaptation. Proof that almost any recipe can be adapted to an equally tasty vegetarian equivalent. This recipe can also be made without the egg.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PASTITSIO with SOYA Serves 6
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Pastitsio is originally a Greek favourite, but I’d say this recipe is a bit of an adaptation.
This recipe can also be made without the egg. Check out the note below.

INGREDIENTS
½ kg spaghetti, cooked al dente
3 cups of Soya mince
750 g milk
3 tablespoons of flour
2 tablespoons of butter
2 eggs
10 tomatoes or 1 ½ tins, chopped
3 onions, chopped
1 teaspoons of sugar
1 stick of cinnamon
2 egg whites
1 cup water

PREPARATION
Put 2 cups of Soya into a bowl and fill with warm water. Allow it to soak for an hour. Strain.

Sauté the onions in a teaspoon of vegetable oil for 5 minutes then add the chopped tomatoes. Simmer for 5-7 minutes and then add the Soya.

Add 1 cup water, salt, sugar and cinnamon stick. Simmer over low heat for 45 minutes, half covered, adding water if necessary. The soya mince should be the consistency of a thick paste.

To Prepare the Béchamel sauce
Melt the butter.
Add the flour and combine; cook for 2 minutes over low heat, stirring constantly.

Pour in all of the cold milk and mix constantly and vigorously. When the sauce starts to thicken, reduce heat and cook for a further 5 minutes. Add salt, pepper and a little nutmeg.

Remove from heat, and when it is slightly cooler, add the eggs one by one, beating well. Drop a small piece of cold butter on a fork and spread this over the surface of the warm Béchamel to form a skin.

Pre-heat the oven to 200C.

Beat the egg whites until stiff. Adding a little salt always helps stiffen eggs.

Very lightly mix the pasta and egg white with a fork.

Put half the pasta into a greased, baking dish. Place the Soya mince on top, and then cover it with the remaining pasta. Pat it flat.

Pour the Béchamel sauce over the top. The sauce should be thick enough to stay mostly on top. If it seeps through and fills the gaps, the pastitsio will turn out too hard. Cover with plenty of grated parmesan cheese and a little butter, and pop it into the oven.

Bake at 200°C for 20 minutes. Then reduce to 180°C and cook for a further 20-25 minutes until the pastitsio is golden brown on top.
Remove from the oven, let it stand for 10 minutes, and then cut into large cubes.

To make without egg

Miss the step for the Béchamel sauce. The pasta doesn’t need to be mixed with egg whites either. Just arrange the Soya and pasta as instructed and set aside.
Now melt some butter, combine with the flour and milk, stir constantly without letting lumps form, till it thickens. Take it off the heat and pour it directly onto the pasta in the baking dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and a little butter, and pop it into the oven.
It may not bake as stiff as pastitsio should be so you may not be able to cut it into slices, but it tastes great anyway.

More vegetarian recipes

No related posts.