GREEK RECIPES: COOKING FOR 1 : P A S T I T S I O – BAKED PASTA WITH MUSHROOMS AND BÉCHAMEL TOPPING / VEGAN - VEGETARIAN HOME COOKING

P A S T I T S I O – BAKED PASTA WITH MUSHROOMS AND BÉCHAMEL TOPPING 
HOME VEGAN COOKING

by.George Portokalakis

HOME COOKING STEP BY STEP:

Pastitsio is loved by everybody, big or small, young or old. 

To prepare a traditional Pastitsio vegetarian / vegan recipe, need 3 steps to make up this dish - pasta, mushroom filling. Preparing the mushroom filling, cooking the pasta micture and preparing the creamy béchamel sauce and all this baked together until golden perfection.. Simply irresistible! 

Each stage makes you dirtying some pots and pans, but the result is well worth the clean up!

Same way as making Moussaka replacing potatoes and eggplants with the pasta.

You need:

Prepare the mushrooms in tomato sauce:

2 large mushrooms

2 medium size tomatoes cut in cubes (if you can’t find fresh ripe tomato use the tomatoes in tin you can get at the supermarket), 

One shot of wine, (whatever available: white, red, rose)

half a wine glass of olive oil or if you dot have it use sun oil or corn oil, 

one middle size onion finely cut or grate it,

A little mint

A little parsley

salt and pepper

Directions: 

Put in a pan the grate onions and the oil. 

Live them for approximately 5/7 minutes so onions soften. 

Add the mushrooms and live it cooks for about 10 minutes turn it from time to time to be cooked all over. 

Add the wine, and a big pinch of salt, oregano, and a big pinch of pepper. Let the wine be boiling away and 

add the tomato or tomato sauce 

Mint and parsley finely chopped

and cook it for about 15 minutes more until most of the juice goes away. 

Take the pan off the heat. The mushroom filling is ready

Prepare the macaroni / pasta

Use macaroni (pasta) number 2 for pastitsio. (certainly to have the perfect result need the pasta below but if you dont have it available or can not find it at the super market use any kind of pasta / macaroni / spaghetti available)

For 1 person use the 1/5 of the package (100 grams)

Bring water to a boil in a large pot and add some salt. Drop the macaroni in the boiling water. 

Cook the pasta for the Pastitsio 2-3 minutes less than the package instructions until al dente, so that they don’t get mushy after turning out of the oven later. 

Drain and set aside.

Put the pasta in the baking dish 

and top with mushroom sauce. 

Sprinkle with 1/4 cup grated vegan cheese.
NOTICE:
For the vegan option we use the vegan cheese we can find at most grosseries in Greece orf in your area and skip the egg. 

For milk we use almond, coconut milk or Soya milk

FOR THE BECHAMEL (Topping Cream)
Directions: 
In a pot put the butter or margarine and 2 full table spoons of flour. 
Add slowly the 3/4 of the milk turning continuously with a beater so both mix well. Add the egg, salt and pepper beating continuously until all being one mixture.

Put a pan in low hit. Put in the pan the butter and one table spoon of flour. 

Turn continuously the two ingredients with the heater to be mixed well. 

Add slowly the rest of the milk to be mixed to a cream and start adding slowly the mixture you have on the pot to turn it to a hot cream. It will take you around 15 minutes to come so. 

When you see the cream comes thicker you add in the mixture the half of the grated cheese. 

Keep turning the heater until the cream start blowing.

Take the pot with the cream and cover the pan with the vegetables and mushroom fillingPour on cream sauce and spread to completely cover pasta. 

Bake in a preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. 

Let stand 10 minutes before cutting to serve.

ENJOY!

Questons? Feel free to contact: info@portoclub.gr