Vegetable pastitsio

With Pasta, Vegetables,

Vegetable pastitsio

Serves8 servings
Cooks In30' preparation | 40' cooking
DifficultyTotally Doable

Ingredients

  • 12 lasagna sheets (the no-boil kind)
  • 3 colored bell peppers (not green)
  • 2 eggplants
  • 2 zucchini
  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 ½ cup kasseri cheese (or Regato or Graviera), grated
  • ½ cup kefalotiri cheese, grated
  • CREAM
  • 2 tbsp. butter
  • ½ leek, chopped
  • 3 tbsp. flour, heaped
  • 0.8 quarts of milk, lukewarm
  • ½ cup kefalotiri cheese, grated
  • 1 pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
  • Salt
  • TOMATO SAUCE
  • 4.5 lb tomatoes, grated or finely chopped
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • Salt, pepper
  • 1 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped

Method

VEGETABLES

  1. Dice the eggplants, peppers, and zucchini.
  2. Lay out on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and grill for 15 minutes at 390°F.

TOMATO SAUCE

  1. Put all the ingredients for the sauce in a large pot and boil for 10 minutes.

CREAM

  1. Melt the butter in a pot.
  2. Add the chopped leek and sauté for 5 minutes on a low heat, until shiny and wilted.
  3. Sprinkle with the flour and cook for 2 minutes.
  4. Add the lukewarm milk little by little, stirring.
  5. Thicken for a few minutes.
  6. Add the kefalotiri and season.

ASSEMBLY

  1. Spread out a tablespoon of tomato sauce in a large, ovenproof dish.
  2. Add a layer of lasagna sheets and one more tablespoon of sauce.
  3. Top with a layer of vegetables, about 1/3 of the total amount.
  4. Combine the grated graviera and kefalotiri, and sprinkle about 1/3 of the mix.
  5. Put the second layer of lasagna sheets, cover with a layer of tomato sauce and a layer of vegetables, adding the cheese at the end.
  6. Repeat the process for the third, and final layer of lasagna sheets.
  7. Finish with the béchamel sauce.
  8. Bake the pastitsio for about 35 – 40 minutes at 390°F, until lightly browned.

TIPS

  • When making bechamel-type sauces, make sure to stir constantly when cooking the flour in the butter (or oil), as this removes the flour’s unpleasant starchy taste.
  • If not using the bechamel sauce immediately, prevent the creamy top layer from forming either by running a piece of butter over the surface or by covering with plastic wrap, allowing the wrap to touch the entire surface of the sauce.
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