Description
This Vegan Pastitsio is a comforting Greek pasta bake featuring a rich lentil and mushroom ‘meat’ sauce layered with a creamy vegan béchamel, all baked to golden perfection. Perfect for a hearty family meal, it uses plant-based ingredients for a wholesome, satisfying dish that’s both dairy-free and meat-free.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 200g dried pastitsio noodles or macaroni (gluten-free if needed)
Vegan ‘Meat’ Sauce
- 1 medium-size brown onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Extra virgin olive oil, as needed
- 2 cups large mushrooms, finely chopped
- 400g canned brown lentils, drained
- 400g canned crushed tomatoes
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1/4 cup walnuts (or pecans, sunflower seeds, or substitute with more lentils or mushrooms), finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- Sugar or coconut sugar, to taste (optional)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Vegan Béchamel
- 1/2 cup (55g) cornstarch / corn flour
- 2 1/2 cups (625g) soy milk or other dairy-free milk
- 400g canned butter beans (lima beans)
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 2 teaspoons white miso paste
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- Pinch of ground nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or vegan butter (optional)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: If serving the pastitsio the same day, preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) to prepare for baking later.
- Cook Pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook it for about 5 minutes, which is slightly less than the recommended 8 minutes, to keep it al dente. Drain and immediately rinse the pasta with cold water to stop cooking.
- Prepare Vegan ‘Meat’ Sauce: Heat extra virgin olive oil in a large saucepan over high heat. Add finely chopped onion, garlic, dried oregano, thyme, and ground cinnamon. Sauté for about 5 minutes until the mixture is fragrant.
- Cook Mushrooms: Add the finely chopped mushrooms to the pan and continue sautéing for 5 to 10 minutes, until most of the moisture has evaporated, concentrating the flavors.
- Add Remaining Sauce Ingredients: Stir in the drained lentils, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, finely chopped walnuts, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, and sugar if using. Allow the mixture to cook for about 10 minutes until it thickens, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
- Make Vegan Béchamel: In a large saucepan over medium heat, whisk cornstarch with 1 cup of soy milk until smooth. As you heat, the mixture will thicken quickly — keep stirring to avoid lumps.
- Blend and Cook Béchamel: Add the remaining soy milk, butter beans, nutritional yeast, white miso paste, onion powder, nutmeg, and olive oil or vegan butter to the thickened mixture. Use an immersion blender to puree everything until smooth. Continue cooking over medium heat for about 10 minutes until the béchamel thickly coats the back of a spoon. Season with salt and pepper.
- Layer Pasta: Transfer the cooked pasta into a large casserole dish (about 28 x 15 cm). Pour approximately half a cup of the béchamel sauce over the pasta and mix well to coat. Flatten the top to create an even layer.
- Add Vegan Meat Sauce: Spoon all the vegan ‘meat’ sauce evenly over the pasta layer and flatten it with the back of a spoon to spread it out.
- Top with Béchamel: Pour the remaining béchamel sauce over the vegan ‘meat’ sauce and spread smoothly to cover the entire surface.
- Bake: Place the casserole dish in the preheated oven and bake for 50 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and set.
- Serve and Store: Serve the pastitsio hot or at room temperature. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or cut into portions and freeze for up to 1 month.
Notes
- Use gluten-free pasta if required for dietary restrictions.
- The béchamel can be thickened quickly; continuous whisking ensures a smooth sauce without lumps.
- Walnuts can be swapped with pecans, sunflower seeds, or more lentils/mushrooms as a nut-free option.
- Adjust seasoning with sugar or coconut sugar to balance acidity of the tomatoes.
- Leftover portions freeze well and can be reheated for quick meals.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Category: Casserole
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Greek
Keywords: Vegan pastitsio, Greek vegan pasta bake, plant-based pastitsio, vegan casserole, dairy-free Greek recipe
