Perfect pastitsio

10 servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
1 large Onion; minced
1 tablespoon Olive oil
2 Rolls meatless beef substitute; (14-oz. each)
½ teaspoon Cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon Nutmeg or allspice
½ cup Canned tomato sauce
½ cup Dry red wine
1 pounds Ziti tagliati or elbow macaroni
5 cups Skim milk
5 tablespoons Cornstarch
¼ cup Water
1 cup Grated kefaloteri or Parmesan cheese; divided
Salt and freshly ground pepper; to taste
3 Eggs
10 SERVINGS LACTO

Directions

If you can find kefaloteri cheese, use it for the most authentic flavor.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large skillet, saute onion in oil until golden. Add "beef," chopping with spatula into small particles. Cook until browned. Add spices, tomato sauce and red wine, stirring to mix. Simmer, covered, until excess moisture has evaporated, about 5 to 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in salted water until al dente. Drain; set aside. In large saucepan, bring milk to boil. Reduce heat. Dissolve cornstarch in water. Add to milk in thin stream, whisking constantly. Cook until mixture has returned to a boil and is thickened. Remove from heat.

Stir in ¾ cup cheese. Add salt and pepper. In separate bowl, beat eggs until light and lemon-colored. Add to cheese sauce in thin stream, whisking constantly. In large bowl, mix cheese-egg sauce with cooked pasta.

Lightly oil 11- by 15- by 2-inch ovenproof casserole. Spoon in half the pasta mixture. Top pasta layer with "beef" mixture. Top with remaining pasta mixture. Sprinkle with remaining A cup cheese. Bake until casserole is golden brown and bubbling, about 40 minutes. Let casserole rest for a few minutes. Slice into 10 rectangles. Makes 10 servings.

VARIATION: For a dairy-free sauce, puree in blender or food processor until smooth two 10½ -ounce packages Japanese-style firm silken tofu with 2 cups water. (You may have to puree in two batches if your processor is small.)

Place mixture in large saucepan. Add ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, then reduce heat.

Dissolve 4 tablespoons cornstarch in ¼ cup water. Add in thin stream to tofu mixture, whisking constantly, until thickened. Remove from heat. Add 1 cup grated Parmesan-style soy cheese. Whisk to mix. Proceed with recipe above, using tofu sauce instead of dairy sauce.

PER SERVING: 365 CAL.; 26G PROT.; 5G TOTAL FAT (2G SAT. FAT): 40G CARB.; 72MG CHOL.; 734MG SOD.; 4G FIBER.

Converted by MC_Buster.

By Kathleen <schuller@...> on Apr 15, 1999.

Recipe by: Vegetarian Times Magazine, April 1997, page 28 Converted by MM_Buster v2.0l.

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