“Americans aren’t acquainted with the concept of a pashtida,” cookbook author Adeena Sussman explains. “The closest dish is a casserole, but a casserole can also be made with meat, while in Israel pashtida is almost always a vegetarian cheese pastry.”
Pashtida-style dishes were an integral part of her childhood. Growing up in northern California during a time when kosher cheeses were hard to find near the Bay Area, her family started a small kosher cheese business out of their garage selling to their local Orthodox community. Her mother loved pashtidas and made them often with any leftover cheese they had on hand. It was inline with her cooking style — delicious, traditional, and simple.
Sussman’s recipe embodies that spirit. It can be made with a variety of leftover cheeses, has a crust that uses up challah from Shabbat, and a wonderful vegetable-rich filling. The result is a richly-flavored pashtida fit for a Shavuot feast or any other family meal.
Try Keren Agam’s Greek-inspired pashtida with zucchini and cheese and chef Tal Tomer’s savory bread pashtida.
For the crust:
3-4 slices (150 grams) stale challah, torn to rough pieces
¼ cup finely grated parmesan
2 tablespoons (25 grams) unsalted butter, melted
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
For the roasted vegetables:
15-20 (150 grams) cherry tomatoes
2 onions, trimmed and sliced into thin rings
1 small broccoli, separated into florets
¼ cup olive oil
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
For the cheese filling:
4 large eggs
2½ tablespoons heavy cream
¼ cup milk
250 grams (8.8 oz) cottage cheese
200 grams (7 oz) leftover cheeses (like crumbled feta and goat cheese, along with kashkaval, mozzarella, and sharp cheddar)
¼ cup finely shredded parmesan
½ cup chopped herbs of your choice (like basil, scallions, thyme, and parsley)
1 small hot red chili pepper, thinly sliced
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
- Preheat the oven to 350F/175C and line 2 baking trays with parchment paper.
- Arrange the challah pieces on a baking tray. On the other tray, arrange the tomatoes, onion and broccoli and drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Place both baking trays in the oven and bake until the challah pieces are very dry and crisp but not darkened, 15-16 minutes; remove from the oven and continue to roast the vegetables until the onions are soft, the tomatoes are slumped and charred and the broccoli is tender, about 15 minutes more. Remove from the oven and cool.
- Prepare the crust: While the vegetables are roasting, place the challah pieces in a ziploc bag and use a rolling pin to smash them into crumbs. Combine the crumbs in a bowl with parmesan, butter, and salt and press into a rectangular baking dish.
- Prepare the cheese filling: Whisk the eggs, cream, and milk in a large bowl. Add the cheeses, herbs, salt, chilies, and nutmeg and mix well.
- Assemble the pashtida: Arrange the roasted vegetables over the crust, separating the onions into rings. Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables and bake until the center is just set, 45-50 minutes. Cool slightly (or completely) and cut into squares.
