Perfect Pastitsio (vegetarian)

Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins Preparation Time: 35 mins Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large onion, minced
• 2 (14 ounce) packages vegetarian ground beef
• 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce, canned
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg or 1/8 teaspoon allspice
• salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 lb ziti pasta or 1 lb elbow macaroni
• 5 cups milk
• 5 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup freshly grated kefalotiri (separated) or 1 cup parmesan cheese (separated)
• 3 large eggs

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 350 fahrenheit.
• 2 in large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. add onion and cook, stirring, until golden brown, about 7 minutes.
• 3 add beef substitute, chopping into small bits. cook until browned, about 5 minutes.
• 4 add tomato sauce, red wine and spice, stirring to mix.
• 5 simmer, uncovered, until the excess moisture has evaporated, about 7 minutes. season with salt and pepper and set aside.
• 6 meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions, drain and set aside.
• 7 in large saucepan, bring milk to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium.
• 8 dissolve the cornstarch in water, then add to milk in a thin stream, whisking constantly to avoid lumps.
• 9 cook, whisking, until mixture has returned to a boil and is thickened, 2-3 minutes. remove pan from heat and stir in 3/4 cup of the cheese.
• 10 in separate bowl, beat eggs until light and very frothy. add to cheese sauce in a thin stream, whisking constantly. add salt and pepper to taste and combine with cooked pasta in a large bowl.
• 11 lightly oil an 11x15x2 inch casserole dish. spoon in half the pasta/cheese mixture. top with meat substitute mixture, then with remaining pasta/cheese mixture. sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese.
• 12 bake until casserole is golden brown and bubbling, about 40 minutes. let cool for a few minutes before slicing and serving.