This vegan pastitsio is the ultimate vegan comfort food. A healthier take on the traditional greek lasagna, this veganized version retains the unique flavors of pastitsio without all the animal products. Noodles, lentil sauce, vegan bechamel sauce, and a sprinkle of vegan parmesan make up this delicious dish.
Happy 2020 everyone! I wanted to start the new year off strong, so today I’m sharing one of my favorite recipes I’ve ever created — Vegan Pastitsio.
My mom’s family is Greek, so I grew up eating lots of delicious Greek food. One dish that is super nostalgic for me is pastitsio. Pastitsio is essentially a greek lasagna, and it is absolutely delicious 🤤 Noodles, meat sauce, cheesy white sauce — basically the farthest thing from being vegan. I haven’t had it since going vegetarian as a little kid, but I can still vividly remember all the distinct, warming spices that make the dish so unique. This veganized pastitsio is a lot lighter and healthier than traditional pastitsio, but still has all those delicious spices that make it taste really authentic.
I hope you enjoy this vegan pastitsio as much as I do! ♥️
How to make Vegan Pastitsio
Like an Italian lasagna, this Greek lasagna is made in layers. It starts with a base of noodles, followed by a layer of lentil sauce, topped with vegan bechamel sauce, and sprinkled with a layer of vegan parmesan cheese.
Noodles
Many people say that pastitsio needs to be made with a cylinder noodle like rigatoni. But my Yia Yia always made pastitsio with elbow noodles and it was dope, so I use elbow noodles!
Lentil Sauce
Traditional pastitsio has a layer of meat sauce, which we are veganizing using lentils. No meat here! Lentils are super hearty, healthy, and give this lasagna a great texture.
Vegan Bechamel Sauce
Bechamel sauce (or white sauce) is typically made with butter, milk, and flour. In this recipe, we are using vegan butter, unsweetened soy milk, silken tofu, flour, and a few spices. Silken tofu makes this sauce super creamy, and when baked it hardens up to create a thick layer of sauce on top of the pastitsio.
Vegan Parmesan Cheese
This is optional, but I like topping the pastitsio with a little bit of vegan parmesan to enhance the flavors a bit. I love the Follow Your Heart brand!
Layer all the ingredients in a baking tray, pop in the oven, and you’re all set!
Want more vegan comfort food? Check out my Koshari or Vegan White Bean Mac & Cheese!
If you make this recipe, leave it a rating and a comment! You can also tag me @Daughter_of_Seitan on Instagram so I can see your lovely food creations. XOXO
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Vegan Pastitsio (Greek Lasagna)
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 9 slices 1x
- Category: Mains
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Greek
- Diet: Vegan
Description
A healthier take on the traditional greek lasagna, this veganized version retains the unique flavors of pastitsio without all the animal products.
Ingredients
Pastitsio
- 4 oz elbow noodles
- 1/4 cup shredded vegan parmesan cheese
Bechamel Sauce
- 8 oz silken tofu
- 1 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk (I use soy)
- 2 tbsp vegan butter
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
Lentil Sauce
- 12 oz can cooked brown lentils
- 1/4 cup veggie broth or water
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, minced
- 1/2 medium tomato, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 5 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Cook elbow noodles in salted water according to package instructions until al dente. Drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 400 F.
- Make your Lentil Sauce.
- Drain and rinse lentils. Set aside.
- Add some oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Saute onions, tomato, cinnamon, nutmeg, garlic, and salt 5-6 minutes until they start to brown.
- Stir in the veggie broth, tomato paste, and lentils. Cook 3-5 minutes, until mixture starts to thicken. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Next make your Bechamel Sauce.
- Melt vegan butter in a small pot over medium heat.
- Once melted, quickly whisk in the flour until a smooth paste forms.
- Raise the heat to medium high and slowly pour in the non-dairy milk. Continuously whisk for about 3 minutes until the sauce is very well combined and starts to thicken.
- Stir in salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Remove from heat.
- Let the sauce cool for a few minutes. Set 1/2 cup of sauce aside.
- Blend the rest of the sauce and the silken tofu together until smooth. Set aside.
- Assemble the pastitsio.
- Coat the bottom of a 9×9 in baking dish with some oil.
- In a bowl, mix together the elbow noodles and the 1/2 cup of reserved bechamel sauce until well coated. Layer the noodles on the bottom of the dish.
- Evenly scoop the lentil sauce over the noodles.
- Cover with the remaining bechamel sauce and sprinkle with vegan parmesan cheese.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the top of the pastitsio is firm and slightly golden.
- Broil for 3-5 minutes, or until the top starts to brown.
- Garnish with extra vegan parmesan cheese or parsley. Store in the fridge up to a week, or freeze for later!
Keywords: Greek Vegan Food, Greek Lasagna, Vegan Pastitsio, Healthy Pastitsio
2 comments
What are your suggestions for freezing this recipe? I can’t wait to try it!
Hi Camryn! You can absolutely freeze this recipe. I’d recommend letting it cool completely before freezing. You can store the whole pastitsio in the freezer, then let it thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating. You could also cut the pastitsio into individual pieces before freezing and reheat as needed!