Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie
Vegetarians in your family will love this dish and the meat lovers won't miss it. This Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie is rich and incredibly tasty:
- creamy, delectable mashed potato with a beautiful golden topping
- rich, flavorful and delicious sauce, packed with veggies
- so good, that you won't even notice that it's meatless
- the perfect comfort food dinner for cold autumn and/or winter days
- simple meatless recipe
- gluten-free
Alla Luigi Sauce
So on Sunday, we were watching the 4th season of Štartaj Slovenija on POP TV (national TV), In the show, entrepreneurs are looking for a chance to present their new products to the Slovenian audience. In this latest episode, Luigi was presenting his new sauces called Alla Luigi. He currently has two products available, one is the vegan Alla Luigi sauce and the other one is the bolognese Alla Luigi sauce. They are available in all Interspar's in Slovenia. We decided to try them and make a new recipe. We were impressed by the ingredients, that are all-natural and without any artificial flavoring or coloring.
For this recipe, we decided to use the vegan sauce, but you can make this Shepherd's Pie with Bolognese sauce as well. So in the vegan sauce, we have ingredients like eggplants, tomatoes, sunflower oil, spices, garlic, olive oil and sugar (but it's not a sweet sauce). Flavor? Aromatic, fresh, deep, with an intense eggplant and tomato flavor - it's perfect for a vegetarian shepherd's pie.
What if Alla Luigi Sauce isn't available in my country?
Don't worry, we have you covered. If you can't get your hands on one of those tasty sauces, substitute it with a can of crushed tomatoes (400g / 14.1 oz) and about 240g (8.5 oz) cooked lentils (feel free to use canned)
How to make Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie
It's so simple and easy to make Shepherd's Pie. It goes like this:
- Make the mashed potatoes
- Cook the carrot and peas
- Add Alla Luigi vegan sauce (or use a substitute if it isn't available in your country)
- Transfer the sauce to an oven-safe dish
- Spread the mashed potatoes over the veggie sauce
- Bake
- Serve
What is Shepherd's pie?
Shepherd's Pie or Cottage Pie is a delicious, comfort meal, originating from Great Britain. It's usually made with lamb meat or ground beef and then topped with a generous layer of creamy mashed potatoes. It's known for being affordable and delicious.
How to store Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie?
It's always best to serve this Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie immediately. Store any leftovers covered in a fridge, for up to two days. Before serving, reheat. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes at 180 °C / 350 °F. Keep an eye on it.
Try these meatless meals too
- Grilled Eggplant Steaks with Mozzarella and Tomato Sauce
- Easy Vegetable Samosa
- Potato Goulash
- Stuffed Butternut Squash with Lentil Daal
Thanks to Štartaj Slovenia for kindly sponsoring this post and thanks to Alla Luigi for their amazing, delicious sauces. All the opinions are ours and we only share our honest opinions and recommendations for great products that we actually use.
METHOD
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Mashed potatoes
Peel the potatoes and cut them in small cubes. Add to a large pot and cover with water. Season the water with salt and place over medium-low heat. Simmer for until 20 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked. Drain. Put the potatoes in your potato ricer and press the potatoes into a bowl or press them through a fine sieve. Add melted butter and heavy cream. Stir to combine using a rubber spatula. The mashed potatoes should be nice and creamy. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
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Sauce
Dice the carrot. Place a pan over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and diced carrots. Cook for 2 - 3 minutes, then add the frozen peas and stir to combine. Add the Alla Luigi Vegan Ragu (if the ragu isn't available in your country, substitute with a canned of crushed tomatoes and 240g (8.5 oz) cooked lentils (feel free to use canned). Pour in the water, stir to combine and bring to a boil. Then, reduce the heat to low and continue to cook for 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer the sauce to an oven-safe dish (20 x 25 cm or 8 x 10 inch).
TipYou can use a meat ragu for this sauce as well. -
mashed potatoes
Add egg yolk and grated parmesan cheese to the mashed potatoes. Stir well. Evenly spread the potatoes on top of the veggies. Place the dish with the Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie onto a large baking sheet. Place in the preheated oven, on the middle rack. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes at 200°C / 390°F.
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Serve
Take the baked Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie from the oven. Let it stand for 10 minutes. Then divide between four plates and serve immediately.
