Dairy-Free Pastitsio with Zucchini Noodles

Ingredients

• 4 large Zucchini
• 2 tablespoons Olive oil
• 1 pound Ground beef
• 1 Onion
• 3 cloves Garlic
• 2 tablespoons Tomato paste
• 28 ounce Crushed tomatoes
• 0.5 cup Red wine
• 0.5 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 0.25 teaspoon Allspice
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 0.5 teaspoon Black pepper
• 1.5 cups Cashews (for béchamel)
• 3 tablespoons Nutritional yeast (for béchamel)
• 1 tablespoon Lemon juice (for béchamel)
• 2 cups Vegetable broth (for béchamel)

Instructions

1. 1Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
2. 2Prepare the zucchini noodles: Use a spiralizer to turn the 4 large zucchini into noodles. Place the zucchini noodles in a colander, sprinkle them with 1 teaspoon of salt, and let them sit for 15 minutes to release excess water. After 15 minutes, gently pat the zucchini noodles dry with paper towels.
3. 3Cook the meat sauce: Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the 1 pound of ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until it is browned, about 5-7 minutes. Drain off any excess fat from the skillet.
4. 4Add the aromatics and sauce ingredients: Add the chopped 1 onion and minced 3 cloves of garlic to the skillet with the beef. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the 2 tablespoons of tomato paste, 28 ounces of crushed tomatoes, 0.5 cup of red wine, 0.5 teaspoon of cinnamon, 0.25 teaspoon of allspice, 0.5 teaspoon of salt, and 0.5 teaspoon of black pepper. Bring the sauce to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and let it cook gently for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened slightly.
5. 5Make the dairy-free béchamel: While the meat sauce simmers, place the 1.5 cups of cashews in a heatproof bowl and cover them with hot water. Let the cashews soak for 30 minutes. Drain the soaked cashews and add them to a blender along with 3 tablespoons of nutritional yeast, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, and 2 cups of vegetable broth. Blend on high speed until the mixture is completely smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides of the blender as needed.
6. 6Assemble the pastitsio: Lightly grease a baking dish. Spread half of the prepared zucchini noodles evenly in the bottom of the baking dish. Spoon the meat sauce over the zucchini noodles. Top the meat sauce with the remaining zucchini noodles. Pour the dairy-free béchamel evenly over the top layer of zucchini noodles.
7. 7Bake the pastitsio: Place the baking dish in the preheated oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the sauce is bubbly around the edges.

Substitutions

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