Pastitsio: Greek Pasta with Lentils and Potato Cheese Sauce

Whole grain pasta with spiced lentils and a vegan potato "cheese" sauce. The steps have been adapted from the Forks Over Knives Flavor cookbook to incorporate the steps for making the cheese sauce since I usually prepare this sauce when I make the pastitsio.

Great

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

First, start making the potato "cheese" sauce. Place a steamer basket in a medium saucepan and add 1 to 2 inches of water to the pan. Bring the water to a simmer over medium-high heat. Place the potatoes in the steamer, cover, and steam until tender when pierced with a fork, about 15 minutes.

Step 2

While the potatoes are steaming, make the pastitsio sauce. Combine the onion, garlic, and 1/4 cup water in a large saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the onion is tender, about 10 minutes, adding 1 to 2 more tablespoons of water as needed to keep the vegetables from sticking to the pan. Add the tomatoes, lentils, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and pepper and cook until the liquid from the tomatoes has been cooked off, about 10 minutes. Add salt to taste.

Step 3

While the pastitsio sauce is simmering, continue making the potato "cheese" sauce. Transfer 2/3 of the steamed potatoes to a blender. Add the milk, nutritional yeast, garlic, and vinegar and blend until smooth. Add salt and pepper. Add the remaining 1/3 steamed potatoes and pulse until they are chunky. Add more plant milk if needed to achieve a pourable consistency. The cheese sauce is now done.

Step 4

Preheat oven to 375 F (176 C)

Step 5

Continue making the rest of the pastitsio. Combine the milk, nutritional yeast, and flour in a large bowl and stir with a whisk to break up any lumps.

Step 6

Cook the pasta for the pastitsio according to the package instructions, undercooking it by about 2 minutes, as it will cook further when baked. Note: I use the same pot that was used to steam the potatoes (less dishes for cleanup!) Transfer the cooked pasta to the bowl with the milk mixture. Add the potato "cheese" sauce and stir to combine.

Step 7

Spread half of the pasta mixture over the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Spread the lentils over the pasta and top with the remaining pasta.

Step 8

Bake the pastitsio in the oven for about 20 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside to cool slightly before serving.