Oh, Ina.

Ina Garten has the life I can only dream of. House in the hamptons, leisurely job, plethora of food connections, a closet full of black shirts. Yes, please. I love this woman. Our cooking styles are so similar, I love her focus on simplicity and ingredients. Flipping through the channels (the six we actually get), I came across her new show and her whipping up her version of pastitsio. OH my goodness, it looked amazing. Thick, hearty meaty sauce. Creamy, gooey bechamel. We were practically drooling. Okay, we were actually drooling. I had to make this, but with all the work I've been doing trying to slim down for summer, I couldn't handle the caloric smack in the face from it. I decided to make it vegan.


Now, firstly, you should know I've mastered the vegan meat sauce. Why? Because I'm not a vegan. You need to know how to bolognese before you faux it. You just need to. For this recipe, it calls for some dried spices to be added in to make it more greek, I guess. But I will include my classic recipe below. I have to say, this made a HUGE baking dish full of deliciousness, so it's perfect for a party or potluck.

Vegan Pastitsio

Vegan Bolognese (see below)
1 teaspoon cinammon
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Your favorite vegan bechamel (or this one)
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
3/4 pound small whole wheat shells

1. Make your meat sauce, with the three dried spices following, preferably a day ahead of time.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Boil water for pasta, while waiting for boil, prepare vegan bechamel, incorporating rosemary and 1/4 cup of meatsauce.
4. Drain pasta just before al dente, as it will cook again in oven.
5. Add pasta into meatsauce and dump into bottom of baking dish. Spread bechamel over pasta and sprinkle with herbs.
6. Bake for about 45 minutes and let cool before slicing.

Meatless Bolognese

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 chopped large spanish onion, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled, finely chopped
4-5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 packages meatless ground (i used yves brand)
1/3 cup unsweetened, plain soy milk
1 can whole, peeled san marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand
1 can crushed tomatoes
2 cups mushroom broth
2/3 cup red wine
Salt, pepper, teeny pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg

1. Heat olive oil over medium heat, add in onions, celery and carrot and cook until slightly caramelized. Add in garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes more, season with salt and pepper.
2. Add in meatless ground and saute lightly for 1-2 minutes, adjust seasoning.
3. Add in soy milk and scrape through bottom of pan to loosen bits, let bubble until reduced by half, adjust seasoning again.
4. Add in remaining liquids, tomatoes and seasoning, bring to slight boil and reduce to simmer. Simmer on low for about 2 hours, until thick and super flavorful. Adjust salt if needed.