This recipe could be made with meat or without. Kate uses Morningstar Farms 'Grillers Crumbles'
as a vegetarian substitute but I suppose you could leave out the meat alltogether.
She also makes a lactose free version by substituting soy margarine for the butter and
using soy milk in the sauce. The Parmesan cheese is aged long enough that it contains little or no lactose.
Kate's Vegetarian Pastitsio
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 2-12oz pkgs ground meat substitute
- 1 can diced tomatoes, drained
- 1½ Tbsp cinnamon
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- 1 Tbsp marjoram
- ½ cup parsley, finely chopped
- Salt/pepper
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 lb large macaroni, preferably ziti
- Cook macaroni, drain well, mix with ½ cup Parmesan cheese and 1
Tbsp butter.
- Melt 1 Tbsp butter in pan, sauté onions until soft.
- Add seasonings,
tomatoes, parsley and meat, cook for five minutes. Remove from heat
and stir in ½ cup Parmesan cheese.
- Put half the macaroni in a 9x13 inch pan. Layer the meat mixture on top,
then add the rest of the macaroni.
- Preheat the oven while preparing the sauce as follows:
Sauce
- 6 Tbsps butter
- 6 Tbsps flour
- 4 cups warm milk
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese
- Melt butter in large saucepan over low heat.
- Stir in flour and blend well.
- Add warm milk and continue stirring until sauce thickens.
- Remove from heat and add Parmesan cheese.
- Pour the sauce over the macaroni and with a spatula push some of the sauce
down the sides of the pan.
- Cook in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
- Let stand
for 15 minutes before cutting and serving.
www.EmeraldAve.net/recipes/pastitsio.htm