I have a sweet spot for brands that are rooted in sustainability, so when I came across Stroodles and their mission to fight plastic waste with pasta straws, I couldn’t wait to try their product!

I discovered Stroodles by pure coincidence and I fell in love with the brand. Not only they have created a super cool brand, but they have come up with a very practical product that has an important mission – to fight plastic waste.

Stroodles promote a movement that we should all be part of, which is to care for the environment and make our everyday items as eco-friendly as possible.

With their inspiring messaging, Stroodles are also here for practical reasons: straws!

What makes Stroodles straws so special? They are made of pasta (wheat + water), they don’t compromise the taste of drinks at all, they last over an hour in your drink, they are vegan and 100% biodegradable.

To try these straws in drinks, I tried them in virgin mojitos. Mojito is that kind of drink that seriously needs a straw, so it was the perfect way to test the product. The veredict? The Stroodles were great! Completely flavourless, perfectly sturdy, and they also feel nice in your mouth!

I don’t know about you, but I really don’t like the feel of paper straws, and I don’t like the feel of metal straws either, too cold and hard! Maybe I’m a bit of a weirdo when it comes to straws, but I’m sure I’m not alone! I think pasta straws are a fantastic idea.

Stroodles are made of wheat and water. So, can you boil them to make pasta? Absolutely! To prove this point, I used a pack of Stroodles to make a vegetarian pastitsio, which is a lovely layered Greek pasta bake.

Pastitsio is usually made with bucatini or other thick spaghetti-like tube pasta. The Stroodles worked like charm in this dish!!

So, the way I see it, Stroodles are straws that you can keep in your cupboard for either using in your drinks or incorporating in your meals as pasta. Sustainable, practical, amazing.

Check out my recipe below for vegetarian pastitsio made with Stroodles.

How do you feel about using pasta straws? Are you ready to say ‘pasta la vista’ to other kinds of straws? Let me know your thoughts in the comments 💖

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Vegetarian Pastitsio – Recipe with Stroodles

This recipe is for a baking dish of around 30 x 25 cm, 6cm deep, which serves 6 to 8 portions.

Ingredients

For the veggie mince:

• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 500g vegetarian mince (I used Linda Maccartneys Vegemince)
• Fresh thyme
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 100ml red wine
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• ½ can chopped tomatoes
• Salt and pepper to taste

For the béchamel sauce

• 80g butter
• 80g all-purpose flour
• 1 litre of milk
• 2 egg yolks
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• 100g hard cheese, grated

For the pasta

• 1 Pack of 40 Stroodles
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 120g feta cheese
• Fresh thyme and parsley, finely chopped
• Drizzle of olive oil

Method

1. Heat oil in a pan and brown the chopped onions. Add your vegetarian mince. Add wine and turn heat up to medium. Stir and cook until most of the wine has evaporated.
2. Add bay leaves, cinnamon, oregano, tomato paste and chopped tomatoes. Bring to the boil and allow to simmer for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Meanwhile, prepare the bechamel. Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour and mix well stirring quickly. Remove from heat and gradually add the milk, stirring quickly to combine. Add all the milk in parts, mixing until you have a smooth creamy sauce.
4. Put saucepan back to medium heat, add the cheese, egg yolks, nutmeg and salt and pepper. Stir well and cover until ready to use.
5. To prepare the pasta, bring a large pot of water to the boil and add Stroodles. Cook for 10 minutes for al-dente (the pasta will cook further in the oven)  Drain and rinse with cold water.
6. Create the bottom layer of the pastitsio by drizzling some olive oil in a deep baking dish, toss the pasta in the 2 lightly beaten eggs and carefully lay it on the dish side by side (this is not necessary, but it means the pasta holes will all be facing the same way when cut). Top the pasta layer with generous amount of thyme, parsley and crumbled feta cheese.
7. For the 2^nd layer, add a few tablespoons of bechamel sauce to the veggie mince and combine, then spread evenly on top of the pasta.
8. Add the top layer with the béchamel sauce, pouring evenly over the mince layer. Top with grated cheese and fresh thyme.
9. Bake in a preheated oven set to 180 degrees Celsius for 40 – 45 minutes, until the top is golden.
10. Once out of the oven, let rest for at least 30 minutes before cutting.