Simmer & Serve Easy Pastitsio Greek Lasagna In One Pot

Enjoy the deliciousness of a Simmer & Serve Pastitsio Greek Lasagna in under 25 minutes—all in a single pot! Made with hearty lentils (because someone’s going to ask about your protein any minute now), this dish features a rich tomato sauce and is topped with a luxurious, creamy plant-based Mornay sauce—a béchamel that firms up as it bakes, providing a delightful texture that’s neither runny nor overly thick.

In no time, you’ll have a satisfying meal without the long baking times or messy prep of traditional lasagna.

Recipe Overview – Pastitsio Greek Lasagna

Short Recipe Video – Pastitsio Greek Lasagna

The Menu for Pastitsio Greek Lasagna

Are you looking for some non-alcoholic WFPB Beverages for holiday cheer?
❄️❄️🌱
Or maybe mains and side dishes to celebrate the holidays? Try the Classical Mac & Cheese, Southwest Mac & Cheese, Not-Hamburger Helper Mac, Stovetop Green Bean Casserole, Creamed Cabbage and Meatloaf, Candied Brussels & Balsamic Beets Salad, Not-Chicken Parmesan, Cranberry Dream Sandwich (including Cranberry Jam, Mashed Potatoes, Mushroom Gravy, Stuffing, and Deli Turkey), Easy Spinach & Ricotta Cannelloni, Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup, Quick & Simple Cabbage Rolls, Grandma’s Hearty Borscht, Cheesy Pumpkin & Sage Ravioli, Bolognese in a Hurry, Plant Based Pierogies, or Mushroom Cacciatore

or for more desserts try Cinnamon Apple-Raisin Rolls, Stovetop Cheesecake, Pumpkin Spiced Blondie, Caramel Apple Crumble, Stovetop Banana Cream Hand Pies, Ginger Bread Cookies, Raisin Butter Tart, Fast-Freeze-No-Churn-No-Machine Ice Cream, Savory Stovetop Cornbread, or maybe even just some Oil-Free Popcorn?

Directions at a Glance for Simmer & Serve Pastitsio Greek Lasagna

Note: If you’re not using a spice grinder then you will need oat flour

1. For the best results dry-saute the diced onions on high heat until they become translucent (skip if using dehydrated onions). Then boil the lentils and spices for about 8-10 minutes until they soften slightly.
2. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and vinegar to the pot, then add the noodles on top of the sauce. Lower the heat to a simmer.
3. Use the bottom of a ladle or spoon to press the noodles gently and only partially into the sauce so they get some sauce inside the tubes and on the edges of the pasta. Don’t add too much sauce at the edges if you like the crispy lasagna edges—that are probably the best part.
4. Mix your Mornay sauce so it’s like pancake batter and pour it over your noodles. Bring the pot back up to a simmer on low heat and cover. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until the noodles are tender and the Morney sauce has firmed up.
5. Serve with Cheesy Not Parm Powder and fresh basil or parsley.

Why This Recipe for Pastitsio Greek Lasagna?

My goal was to create a dish that’s Whole-Food Plant-Based (WFPB), SOS-free (no added salt, oil, or sugar), high in protein and made entirely from unprocessed, healthy, plant-based ingredients.

I crafted this Simmer & Serve Pastitsio Greek Lasagna to bring all the rich, comforting flavors of traditional lasagna without the hassle, mess, or the unhealthy ingredients that often sneak into classic recipes.

This recipe captures the decadence of pastitsio and lasagna while keeping it simple and plant-based. It’s the perfect balance of indulgence and health—just what you need for busy days when you crave something satisfying, nourishing, and packed with flavor, without compromising convenience.

It’s the perfect winter dish for days when it seems impossible to balance healthy with convenience and taste.

Have ideas for recipes or feedback? Let me know in the comments or connect with me on substack or Instagram!

Blending Without a Spice/Coffee Grinder

If you have oat flour then you don’t need to use a blender or grinder.

You can use any type of blender, just blend everything for the Mornay sauce and then follow the regular directions.

If you want you can try to use your stick blender to blend the oats, like in the video below, but I recommend just blending it with liquid and your stick blender or other blender or food processor.

⭐The Full Pastitsio Greek Lasagna Recipe⭐

Pastitsio Greek Lasagna

Chef Rob

Simmer & Serve a hearty Greek take on lasagna with noodles, tomato sauce, and a covered in a cheesy Mornay (béchamel) sauce

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course Comfort Food, Dinner, Main Course, Pasta, Side Dish

Cuisine Greek

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

  

TOMATO SAUCE – PART 1

• ½ cup lentils unsplit, dry (see tips for canned/cooked)
• 4 tbsp onion dehydrated or ½ cup fresh onions
• 2 tsp garlic granulated
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp oregano dry or 1 tbsp fresh
• 1 tsp basil dried or 1 tbsp fresh
• 3 cups water

TOMATO SAUCE – PART 2

• ½ cup diced tomatoes
• ½ cup tomato paste
• 1 tbsp balsamic
• 1 tbsp apple cider

BECHAMEL

• 8 tbsp oat flour
• 1 tsp onion powder
• ⅛ tsp white pepper optional, ground
• ¹/16 tsp nutmeg
• ¹/16 tsp celery seeds optional
• ¹/32 tsp cloves or allspice, both optional
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast optional
• 1 tbsp sunflower seed butter or tahini or other seed or nut butter
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar add more and cook to taste if not salty enough
• 1 tbsp white vinegar
• ½ cup water or more as needed

GARNISH

• 1 tsp basil or parsley fresh or rehydrated
• 2 tbsp Cheesy Not Parm Powder see recipe below

Instructions

 

• Add all of the tomato sauce PART 1 ingredients to a pot and bring to a boil on high heat, cooking for 10-12 minutes or until the lentils start to soften a bit.

  Add Part 2 of the tomato sauce ingredients, stir well, and bring to back to simmer on medium-low to low heat.
  
• Add the noodles and get a bit of the sauce liquid on them. I like to sprinkle some not-parm on the noodles, then pour on your Mornay (béchamel) sauce and cover the pot with a lid. Now simmer for 8-10 minutes on low heat.
  
• When the noodles are soft and the Mornay sauce becomes firm remove the pot from the heat. Slice and serve with Cheesy Not Parm and fresh or dried herbs for garnish.
  

Video

Notes

• If you want the Morney to be stretchy like mozzarella then you can add 2 tbsp tapioca starch, or casava flour for a less processed version.

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🥣Cheesy Not Parm Recipe🥣

Print Recipe

Cheesy Not Parm Powder

This “cheese” powder is great on salads or pasta as a Parmesan substitute, or directly in cheese like sauces to create that thick gooey lip-smacking goodness that you get in a heavy cheesey sauce.

Prep Time1 minute min

Total Time1 minute min

Course: Garnish, Topping

Cuisine: American, Canadian, Italian

Keyword: cheap vegan recipes, corn free, dairy free, easy recipe, healthy, homecooking, homemade, instant no cooking, no added salt, no added sugar, no added sugars, no bake, no coconut, no gluten free, no nuts free, no oil, no shellfish free, no sos, no soy, no treenuts free, nomad recipes, plant-based, quick recipes done fast, scratch, soy tofu free, top 8 allergy free, top 9 allergen free, vanlife, vegan, vegan cheese substitute, vegan pizza, wfpb, wfpb cheese, wfpbno, wheat free, whole food plant based

Servings: 1 people

Author: Chef Rob

Equipment

• 1 Spice / Coffee Grinder

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp raw hulled pumpkin seeds raw hulled sunflower seeds work too
• 1 tbsp raw flax seeds
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast optional
• ⅛ tsp onion powder optional

Instructions

• Add all ingredients to a spice/coffee grinder or blender/food-processor, or pestle and mortar and grind into a semi-fine powder (I leave it a bit coarse as the pumpkin seed bits add a similar granular texture and bit of a good parmigiano reggiano.)

  Use or store for later.
  

🧂If you absolutely must add salt or sugar then try to add them to taste, to the top of the food, so you use less, and add in small amounts and only after tasting before adding any more. The same goes for other “less healthy” additions, but the idea should be to try to limit and eventually remove adding them, over time, when you are ready. (Use a finer ground salt as it will taste saltier.)

After a few weeks of not eating a SAD diet your tastebuds reset and you’ll notice and be surprised by the natural sugars and sodium in foods, check out the great article, and subscribe to, Michael Corthell on Substack.

💡Protips💡

Perfect Noodles

• Make sure the noodles all get at least a little amount of sauce on them to help them soften. You don’t need to submerge them in the sauce, but ensure they get some of the watery parts of the sauce on them.
• Also, cover the noodles well with the Mornay sauce to help them trap the steam and to cook perfectly. You should still get some lightly crispy edges, like any good lasagna, with this technique.

Home Made Noodles

• Take a look at Easy Hand Made Trofie Pasta (similar to a fusilli pasta) or 10 Minute Dirt Cheap Pappardelle Pasta from Scratch (which can be made into lasagna sheets in even less time).

Traditional Pastitsio & Layering

• I like to sprinkle some Cheesy Not Parm Powder between each layer and on top to add more texture and depth of flavor.
• Traditionally, the noodles would go below and above the tomato sauce. If you want this way it takes more effort, but simply cook the noodles, before cooking the sauce, then remove the sauce from the pot and add half the cooked noodles, then add the tomato sauce, then the rest of the cooked noodles, then finally the Mornay sauce.

Substitutes

Seeds Butter

• Any seed or nut butter will work, or even ground seeds or nuts (mixed with water until it resembles a butter) in the same amounts will work.

Lentils

• Canned lentils will also work, but first rinse them then add all the tomato sauce ingredients and bring to a boil before reducing to a simmer and adding the noodles etc.
• Beans will also work, but they will need to be pre-soaked and cooked until tender or use canned beans and follow the above recommendations for canned lentils.
• Soy curls or TVP would also work, but you will need to follow the package instructions.

Oats

• You can use any flour you like here, I use gluten-free oats because they are healthy and cheapy, but whole wheat or even (brown) rice flour would work.

Blenders, Food Processors, and Immersion Blenders

If you don’t have a spice or coffee grinder or oat/flax flour then check out the alternative blending section for how to create this recipe with almost any blending device.

No Equipment At All

• If you have (oat) flour then you don’t need a grinder, blender, or food processor

Nutrition Facts Table – Pastitsio Greek Lasagna

The Science – Sources

Please tell me how it turned out! Did you: try it, like it, hate it, change it, or do something else unexpected???

If I’ve made any mistakes, or something doesn’t make sense, or if you want more/less details, please let me know in the comments.

Stay healthy and nourished! Happy cooking!

Chef Robert Leigh.

Simmer & Serve Easy Pastitsio Greek Lasagna In One Pot