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Leaner Profile for Pastitsio Greek casserole (Recipe Redux) By Nancy Ross Ryan
I've never sent you a recipe before, but I would really like to see a low-fat vegetarian recipe for the classic Greek dish pastitsio. Although my mother made many Greek standards such as spanakopita and baklava, I had never tasted pastitsio until my son decided to make some after tasting it at a Greek restaurant in Atlanta. Pastitsio is a delightful dish, and it would be great to see a low-fat, meatless version with some of the richness of the original. The recipe, as you can see, is very high in fat. Pastitsio is to Greek home cookery as Bolognese sauce is to Italian. Both are traditional dishes, beloved for their flavorful richness and have common essential ingredients but both are given myriad variations by home cooks. Pastitsio is a layered pasta and meat casserole characterized by a hint of cinnamon and an unctuously rich, custardy cheese sauce. Essential pastitsio ingredients include a long, hollow pasta called bucatini or ziti, butter, milk, eggs, onion, ground beef or lamb, tomato sauce, cinnamon, nutmeg or allspice, wine and a specialty Greek cheese, kefaloteri. There are dozens of variations, most declaring to be the "real" pastitsio. For example, some pastitsio recipes specify that the bucatini or ziti must be layered in lengthwise rows in the long rectangular casserole dish. Some say never substitute elbow macaroni for ziti. Others say that elbow macaroni or ziti tagliati (cut ziti) may be substituted. Most recipes allow the cook to substitute grated Parmesan for the hard-to-find kefaloteri. Some recipes call for mixing the butter and cheese with the pasta and pouring the egg custard over the assembled casserole just before baking. And some make a rich bechamel or white sauce with eggs to mix with the pasta before layering. The list of variations is truly endless. So in the true spirit of pastitsio, the following is a fragrant, creamy version with a vegan alternative, both of which are worth offering to Aedifia, the ancient Greek goddess of good eating.
1 large onion, minced Preheat oven to 350°F. In large skillet, sauté 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 1/4 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- x 15- x 2-inch ovenproof casserole. Spoon in half the pasta mixture. Top pasta layer with "beef" mixture. Top with remaining pasta mixture. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 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 10.5-ounce packages Japanese-style firm silken tofu with 2-1/2 cups water. (You may have to puree in two batches if your processor is small.) Place mixture in large saucepan. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, then reduce heat. Dissolve 4 tablespoons cornstarch in 1/4 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.
1 onion
PER SERVING: 890 CAL.; 39G PROT.; 65G TOTAL FAT (35G SAT. FAT); 35G CARB; 337MG CHOL.; 768MG SOD.; 2G FIBER. |
Vegetarian Times Magazine Recipe Redux