I recently had a great question from Michelle about how to make a vegetarian version of a Pasticcio. If you have never heard of a pasticcio (I hadn’t), they are a baked dish with blends of Greek and Italian origin. I would describe one as a cross between casserole and lasagna. Both the Greek and Italian versions are quite similar, using the same elements but varying in ingredients slightly.
A Pasticcio is made up of 3 basic elements:
- The pasta it would seem can be any noodle you choose. Long, such as spaghetti, linguini and uncut macaroni noodles, or short pastas like penne, rigatoni or macaroni.
- A white sauce, the Italian version calls for a béchamel sauce whisked with eggs and grated cheeses. While I have seen Greek versions use the béchamel or Greek yogourt (unsweetened) whisked with eggs and grated cheese.
- Meat and/or vegetables, this element which is baked in between the layers of pasta reminds me of a really thick and rich Bolognese Sauce.
Since it seems like something my family might enjoy, I thought I would have a go at creating a vegetarian version for dinner. To save some time, I used the Compliments Alfredo Sauce instead of making béchamel sauce from scratch. I also incorporated a jar of Compliments Tomato and Basil Pasta Sauce to cut down on time and boost the flavour in my Bolognese sauce.
I also saved a little more time by using the ground soy, which requires much less cooking and preparation than ground beef, and still manages to add that "meaty" richness and texture.
Creating a vegetarian version wasn’t too difficult. The rustic nature of a pasticcio really lends itself to easy adaptation. I could see myself baking a pasticcio di polenta or adding some leftovers into this versatile dish. I especially like the fact that it can be served warm immediately after baking for dinner and/or served cold as a lunch the next day, fantastic, I love cooking once and eating twice!
Vegetarian Pasticcio
Makes 1 large lasagna sized pasticcio
Prep time: 40 minutes
70 minutes
6 cups (1500 mL) uncooked Compliments Penne Lisce [1] pasta
1 jar (465 mL) Compliments Alfredo Sauce [2]
2 whole Compliments Large Eggs [3]
2 Compliments Large Egg [4] yolks
1 cup (250 mL) grated Asiago cheese, divided
1 tub (113 g) Compliments Goat’s Milk Cheese Crumbles [5]
1 tbsp (15 mL) Compliments Pure Olive Oil [6]
½ cup (125 mL) each; diced carrot, celery, onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 package (340 g) Yves Original Veggie Ground Round
1 tbsp (15 mL) Italian seasoning
½ cup (125 mL) red wine
1 jar (700 mL) Compliments Tomato and Basil Pasta Sauce [7]
Sea salt and pepper to taste
- Pre-heat your oven to 400°F (204°C) and bring a large salted pot of water to a boil. Cook the penne according to package directions, drain and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the Alfredo sauce, eggs, egg yolks, ½ cup (125 mL) grated asiago cheese and season lightly with sea salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat, sauté the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic until tender and fragrant, about 5-7 minutes. Add the ground round, Italian seasoning and a touch of salt and pepper, mix well. Stir in the red wine and tomato sauce; simmer until thickened, about 15-20 minutes.
- Grease a large baking dish with olive oil or butter, spread half of the cooked pasta evenly over the bottom of the pan and sprinkle with the remaining asiago cheese. Gently ladle the Bolognese sauce over the noodles covering completely. Top with the remaining pasta, pour the Alfredo sauce mixture over the top and sprinkle the goat’s cheese crumbles over everything. Bake for 25 minutes, until golden on top and bubbling.
- Let cool slightly and serve warm with a side salad or let cool completely, refrigerate and serve cold for lunch or dinner the next day.
Nutritional Analysis per Serving:
Energy: 470kcal
Protein: 24g
Fat:12g
Saturated Fat: 1.5g
Cholesterol: 105 mg
Carbohydrates: 64g
Fibre: 4g
Sodium: 740 mg
Potassium:239 mg
Michelle, I hope your vegetarian pasticcio turned out as tasty as mine did!
Happy Cooking!
Chef Ryan Skelton