Try this vegetable pastitsio, a meatless version of Pastitsio, a classic Greek casserole with layers of noodles, vegetables, and endless flavor.
Jump to RecipeA few weeks ago I was given a bunch of old cookbooks. One of the other moms in my Mothers of Preschoolers group was cleaning out her kitchen. The one that really stuck out to me is 9×13 The Pan That Can. It’s a cookbook full of over 300 recipes that can be cooked in a 9×13 pan. The first recipe I tried from the book is Vegetable Pastitsio.
The book describes it as a meatless version of a classic Greek casserole. There are a lot of vegetables in the dish, and we have been trying to eat more veggies lately. It also uses some mint leaves in it, which we have plenty of from the garden, so we gave it a shot.
It was different than other meals we’ve made, but we liked it! The only thing I didn’t like was that it made multiple dirty dishes. I usually try to use only one or two in my recipes, but it was still worth it.
You can use any small noodles for this dish. I’ve made it both with macaroni elbow noodles and ziti noodles. I asked Justin which he prefers and got the ever-so-helpful answer of “I don’t know.” I had leftover elbow noodles from macaroni casserole the first time. The last time I made this we had leftover noodles from baked ziti. I like to use up what we have in the pantry when I can, so we use the noodles on hand.

Step by Step
Start by getting your 9×13 baking dish out and ready. Lightly grease the pan and preheat the oven to 350F. Start cooking the potatoes because those take the longest. I like to cut mine into bite-sized pieces and boil until they are tender.
Cook the noodles according to the package and drain, rinsing them with cold water. In a large bowl, combine the cooked noodles, eggs, and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt.

Layer this mixture in the bottom of the 9×13 pan.

Arrange the fresh spinach on top of the noodles, spreading it out as much as possible.

In a large skillet, over medium heat, melt 1 tbsp of butter then add the onion and garlic and cook for about 3 minutes.

Then add the tomato sauce, corn, potatoes, mint, oregano, 1/4 tsp of salt, cinnamon, and pepper, stirring until it is all heated through.

Spread the potato mixture on top of the spinach and spread it out as much as possible. It’s ok if it doesn’t completely cover the spinach, just do the best you can.

In a medium saucepan (I used the one from the noodles so I didn’t dirty another pot), melt the remaining two tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour and nutmeg, then add the milk. Cook until it’s thickened and bubbly, stirring frequently.

Pour this flour mixture over the potato mixture. Bake the entire meal, uncovered, for about 30 minutes or until heated through.

Let it cool for about 5 minutes before serving.


Recipe
Originally Published On: May 14, 2018
Last Updated On: November 23, 2019

Vegetable Pastitsio
Ingredients
- 8 oz elbow macaroni
- 2 eggs (beaten)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3 cups spinach
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup onion (chopped)
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 8 oz tomato sauce
- 1 cup corn (frozen)
- 1 cup potatoes (cooked, cubed)
- 3/4 tsp mint (crushed)
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 2 cups milk
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Cut potatoes into bite-sized pieces and boil until tender
- Grease a 9×13 baking dish and preheat the oven to 350F
- Cook the macaroni noodles according to package directions, then rinse with cold water and drain
- In a large bowl, combine the macaroni, eggs, and 1/4 tsp salt then layer in the bottom of the baking dish
- Spread the spinach over the macaroni
- In a large skillet, over medium heat, melt 1 tbsp of butter
- Add the onion and garlic and cook for about 3 minutes
- Add the tomato sauce, corn, potatoes, mint, oregano, 1/4 tsp salt, cinnamon, and pepper, stirring until heated through
- Spread the potato mixture over the spinach
- In a medium saucepan, melt the remaining 2 tbsp of butter over medium heat
- Stir in the flour and nutmeg followed by the milk
- Cook until thickened and bubbly, stirring frequently
- Pour the flour mixture over the potato mixture
- Bake, uncovered, for about 30 minutes or until heated through
- Let it stand for 5 minutes to cool before serving
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.
This looks like a comfort food I would fall in love with!!! Buttery, creamy… Mmmm!!
Oh it’s so good!
awesome variation! I live in greece and everyone is obsessed with the traditional meaty pasticio, it’s so refreshing to see a lovely veggie version of a trusted classic!
I would love to try it with meat at some point, too. But this was a delicious meatless meal perfect for cooler nights.
Really like how this will feed a bunch of people and not that expensive to make. Love 9 x 13 pan meals.
It’s so filling, so this would go a long way with feeding a crowd.
That sounds like my kind of cookbook! And this looks like my kind of dish. Love the layers.
I know, I need to get the book back out again and look for other recipes because this one was so good.
Those picture make me feel so hungry. I like Vegetable Pastitsio and I find it easy to make. Thanks for sharing!
This was our first time having anything like it, and we enjoyed the meal!
Yummy! This looks perfect. I am hungry just reading your post! Definitely going to make this recipe!
It’s such a great meal when it’s cold outside. I hope you enjoy it!
What an interesting meal idea. This would be fantastic for when company was over!
It’s so great for a crowd because it’s so filling, so a little bit goes a long way.
Get in my belly!! This looks soooo good. I’ll try it the next time the BF comes over 🙂
Sounds like a good plan, because this makes a lot and is so filling. You definitely need help eating it!
This is looks so good. I can’t wait to try this. Time to go shopping.
It’s such a great meal, and warm for the cooler months right now.
This looks like such a fun food to prepare! I know my littles love anything with pasta and I love the veggies!
It’s a great combination of pasta and vegetables in a nice warm dish.
I do think it looks amazing and I would love to try it out. Although I am wondering if some other green besides spinach would work. My daughter really doesn’t like it very much and I would want to substitute flavors a bit.
I haven’t tried it with anything else, but I think any of the leafy greens like that could work. Maybe kale, though that would have a bit more of a crunch than the spinach.
This looks so good! I’ve never had spinach but I need to give it a try.
The spinach works really well in this recipe. It adds a good amount of greens but isn’t overpowering.
Oh Yum! I need to try this! I looks amazing!
It’s delicious! And a great way to get a lot of vegetables in, too.
This looks really good! I dont think I’ve ever had anything similar. I will have to try to make it soon!
This was a completely new one for us, too, but it was really good.
Oh I am so the same as you, I prefer when recipes use as few dishes as possible. Less mess, less clean up! My kinda cooking!
I love to cook but I really despise washing dishes! The fewer dishes the better for me!
Awesome recipe, I got to say, it’s been a while since I have eaten something that includes the corns and this looks delicious which makes wanna try it.
The corn is great in this recipe. It adds a lot of flavor to the meal.