Vegetarian Cornish Pasties

This vegetarian pasty recipe is based on the traditional Cornish pasty but instead of using meat focuses on root vegetables is packed full of great flavour. 

I love pasties! I have made a gluten free pasty (based on a classic Cornish pasty), pumpkin pasty, and cheese and onion pasty (which all of are also vegetarian pasties!). These are my homage to vegetarian Cornish pasties! We were lucky enough when we visited Cornwall to try a bunch of different pasty fillings (we did only vegetable pasties) and it made me want to make my own Cornish pasty recipe. Pasties have become some of our favorite recipes, and after you try them, you'll be making traditional Cornish pasties (or your own versions) in no time! 

WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF PASTIES?

The history of Cornish pasties dates back to the 17th century when they were commonly eaten by Cornish miners and workers as a portable and hearty meal. The thick crimped edge was designed as a handle so that the miners could hold the pasty with dirty hands and discard the crimped edge afterward, minimizing waste.

WHY SHOULD YOU MAKE THIS vegetarian PASTY RECIPE?

It is such a great meal! This is a really good pasty recipe in that it has a bunch of flavor and is super easy to make! The vegetable filling is a really rich filling (despite there being no neat) Plus it is gluten free and vegetarian pasties means that you can serve almost any guest and have it sorted!

TIPS AND TRICKS

For best results always follow the recipe card

Even though my recipes are gluten free, I am not a vegan baker. Therefore, if you do try to make these little pasties vegan, you would need to use a vegan cheese, omit the egg (or find an egg substitute), and find a dairy free substitute for your crust. If you do decide to try it as a vegan recipe, let me know in the comments how it goes!

If you want to brighten up their presentation, serve with some fresh parsley.

WHAT EQUIPMENT DO YOU NEED?

Baking Tray (or baking sheet)
Rolling pin (or a taco press)
parchment paper (or wax paper)
Large bowl
Food processor

INGREDIENTS FOR vegetarian PASTIES

Onion: the onion mixture in this recipe is so delicious from the caramelization of the onions
Cheddar Cheese: a classic cheese, I use a mature cheddar cheese to really enhance the flavor of the cheese mixture. Aged cheddar is a delicious cheese and it is hard to beat in a pasty.
Fresh Thyme: Such a great flavor that brings out the cheesy filling
Gluten free all purpose flour: (make sure to use one with xanthan gum). This is if you want to make your own pastry and make it gluten free. You can use whatever pie dough you like for this recipe. 
Butter: Butter is used in the crust. Make sure you are not using room temperature butter, you need very cold butter.
Egg: Egg is used in our recipe twice. Once in the crust and once as an egg wash that goes on top of the pasty prior to being baked.
Water: A bit of water goes into our pie dough to help it come all together
Garlic Bouillon: Roasted garlic bouillon is a great source of flavor to savoury fillings and that is just as true in this recipe.
Black Pepper & Salt: Seasoning is always key to cooking!
Oil: To help fry the onions 
Cold Water: for our pie dough if you want to make my gluten free pastry dough. 
Leek: Leek is a great vegetable and adds some great flavor to the pasty
Carrot: Carrots are sweet by nature and sweeten the dish
Rutabaga: A great root vegetable, it makes for a fantastic pasty filling
Dijon Mustard: For some extra flavor

HOW DO YOU MAKE THIS Vegetarian PASTY RECIPE? 

First you are going to make your dough: Add the flour, cold butter that is cubed, egg, and 1-2 teaspoon of cold water into your food processor. Blend until it comes together to form a dough. Place in the fridge after you have covered with plastic wrap to preserve it. 
To make your filling:  Cut up the potatoes. Place them in a pot and fill it with water. Salt your water, it will help add flavor to the food. Boil until soft.
In the meantime, slice your onions: You can keep them longer (as if making caramelized onions) or dice them to ensure that each pasty will have plenty of onion. On medium heat, heat around 2-3 tablespoons of canola oil in a pan, and place the onions in. Allow them to turn golden brown. Set Aside.
Sauté the carrot and leek: in the mustard with a teaspoon of oil. Once soft, add to the onions. Then add the boiled potatoes allow it to start to come together to form a sort of mash. 
Add the thyme: add the 2 tablespoons of fresh time, and continue to stir. Begin to season with garlic bouillon, salt, and pepper (do one pinch of salt at a time). Stir to make sure it is incorporated.  Once you feel the flavor is balanced, add the 1 cup of cheddar cheese. Once the filling has come together, set it aside so it can cool until the point where it is lukewarm. You can transfer it to a large mixing bowl or keep it in the pan that you cooked it in. 
Putting them together: Heat your oven to 350°F. This recipe can make 8-9 small pasties or if you wish to make large pasties, it will likely make 3 or 4. 
To make your pie crust for your gluten free pasties, you can do this one of two ways.
Take two piece of parchment paper, then take a ball of dough and place it between them. Use your rolling pin to roll it out until it is the size of a corn tortilla. 
On a taco press, take two pieces of parchment paper, and place a ball of pie dough between them. Press down, and do this until it is the size of a corn tortilla. You will want circles of pastry.
Once it is the size you want: scoop in the filling. Place it in the center of the dough in a line going across. Make sure you do not add too much filling, you do not want the pasty to pop open while it is baking. Fold the dough over, and crimp the dough along the edges of the pastry. Do this until all of the filling and dough is gone. 
Once the pasties are assembled: place the pasties onto a prepared baking sheet )on baking sheets lined with parchment paper). Slit holes onto the top of each gluten free pasty to ensure that air can properly escape while baking. Now, take a beaten egg and brush the egg mixture onto the top of each pasty. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. When removed from the oven, allow them to sit for a few minutes. You do not want to burn your tongue when you bite into them. 

When you are finished making these, make my gluten free sausage rolls recipe.

HOW TO STORE THese vegetarian pasties?

If you want to keep them in the fridge for a few days you can if you store them in an airtight container. If you want to freeze these pasties that is a great option. I have instructions here as to how to cook frozen pasties. Place them in a freezer bag, mark the date on them, and they will keep for up to 3 months. 

LEAVE A RATING AND REVIEW!

Did you love this recipe? If you did, let me know! And let others know too by leaving a comment and star rating. Reviews are incredibly useful in helping other people find my site and make my recipes. Thank you so much!
Laura 

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