Recipe Archives->Vegetarian->Pastitsio

Vegetarian Pastichio

6 oz pasta of whatever shape you like best 

8 oz red lentils
olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 green pepper, chopped
some mushrooms, chopped
large tin of tamatoes, chopped
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp cinnamon (though I use more)
pint of water or unsalted stock
salt
pepper

2 eggs
3/4 pint of white sauce/bechamel
3 oz grated cheddar cheese

Heat the olive oil and fry the onions till they're soft then add
the pepper and the mushrooms and the garlic and cook. You can also
add anything else at this stage that seems a good thing, a courgette
(zucchini if you're American) or even a chilli chopped very fine.

Mix in everything else and then bring to the boil and cook until
the liquid has mostly gone and you are left with a nice thick spicy
sauce and the lentils are soft. I find that you usually have to
add some boiling water during the cooking.

Heat the oven to 200 C, 400 F, gas mark 6.

Cook the pasta till it's just cooked and put it in the bottom of
an oven dish, spoon the lentil mix on top and then on the top put
the beaten eggs/white sauce mix and then sprinke the cheese (and
also some breadcrumbs if you like a bit of a crunch like me) and
put it all in the oven for about 30 - 40 minutes or until it's nice
and brown on top.

Printable version: pastitsio.txt.