Vegetable Pastilla With Moroccan Flavors

There are many ways to fill a vegetable pastilla. I’ve seen recipes which use sweet potato, winter squash and eggplant. This one, based on Mark Bittman’s recipe, uses parsnips.

About Parsnips

A root vegetable similar to carrots, parsnips have a creamy color and mild, nutty flavor that becomes sweeter when cooked, especially roasted.

I was prepared to drive across town to the “Gucci” supermarket to buy them but was pleasantly surprised to find them in my local Box*Mart.

The parsnips are chopped up with dried fruits and nuts, cooked until tender then sandwiched between layers of phyllo dough and baked. The result is a fragrant, sweet/savory, flavorful mouthful loaded with textural contrasts.

I used parsnips because Bittman did. You see, he started me on my flexitarian journey in 2013. Mark Bittman developed the Vegan Before 6 concept which, along with other food writers like Michael Pollan and Dawn Jackson Blatner, has brought semi vegetarianism (aka flexitarian eating) to the mainstream. (You will find some of my fave flexitarian cookbooks in this post.)

So it shouldn’t be a surprise that I chose a Bittman recipe to fit the Meatless Monday theme at I Heart Cooking Clubs. This particular one come from Dinner For Everyone.

Adapt to make your own vegetable pastilla

Now, just because I followed my “guru” doesn’t mean you have to. You could freely substitute any chopped veg that will stand up to the cooking process for the parsnips. I think cauliflower (or a blend or cauliflower and ground meat) would work well, too. That’s a recipe for another day…

Likewise, Bittman calls for the use of ras al hanout, a Moroccan spice blend. He recommends substituting with garam masala. I used my favorite curry powder. Make enough filling to for a 9 inch pie plate, season it how you like, cook it until it’s mostly dry before assembling and you’ll have a successful pastilla in the end.

Vegetable Pastilla With Moroccan Flavors

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Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Course: Appetizer, Main

Cuisine: Moroccan, North African

Servings: 8 servings

Equipment

• food processor

Ingredients

• 1 pound parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
• ½ cup dried apricots (a cupped handful)
• ½ cup pitted dates
• 1 cup pitted green olives
• ½ cup blanched almonds
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for brushing
• red pepper flakes
• 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
• 1 medium lemon, zest and juice
• 1 tablespoon ras al hanout, garam masala OR your favorite curry powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• 8 sheets frozen phyllo dough sheets, thawed overnight in fridge
• 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400°F/180°C. Prepare a 9 inch pie pan with oil.
• Working in batches as needed, put the parsnips, onion, garlic, apricots, dates, olives and almonds in a food processor. Pulse until the pieces are pea sized.
• Heat oil and red pepper flakes in a large skillet. Add the chopped vegetables and 1 cup of water. Season with salt and pepper.
• Cook, stirring occasionally, until the parsnips soften and the pan is mostly dry, about 15 minutes. Adjust the heat to prevent burning.

  Stir in the ras al hanout and cook for another minute. Turn off the heat and stir in the cilantro, lemon juice and zest.

  Taste and adjust the seasoning.
• Cut the phyllo dough into 9 inch squares.

  Put one square in the bottom of the pan, allowing the corners to drape over the sides. Brush with oil.

  Place another square at an angle and brush with oil. Repeat with two more sheets so the bottom of the pan is covered.
• Spread the vegetable mix evenly over the phyllo dough. Cover with 4 more sheets of phyllo as for the bottom, brushing each sheet with oil.

  Fold and tuck the edges of the phyllo into the pan to close the pastilla. Cut a couple small slits in the top. Cover with foil.
• Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the foil. Return the pastilla to the oven until golden brown, another 5-10 minutes.
• Combine the confectioners' sugar and cinnamon. Place into a small sieve and dust the top of the pie.

  Cut into wedges. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Notes

Best when served the day it’s baked.

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It may be best to consider this a technique demonstration as opposed to a recipe. How are you inspired to fill your vegetable pastilla?

Don’t forget to drop by I Heart Cooking Clubs to see what recipes the other members have made this week.