Pastetli (Swiss Vol-au-Vent)

Discover more delicious Swiss dishes on my small group food & wine tour of Switzerland!
Pastetli (Vol-au-Vents)

In Switzerland, pastete means pie and in Swiss adding an “i” to the end of a word forms a diminutive – so a small pie is a pastetli. Pastetli in Switzerland are what we know by the French name vol-au-vent, and they’re a delicious starter or light meal with a salad (pictured with Kohlrabi & Herb Salad). They’re usually filled with a mushroom cream sauce that may contain all sorts of meat including veal sausage or sweetbreads. Traditionally pastetli are a special dish, served on Christmas Eve and other festive occasions like christenings. As Swiss wines can be hard to come by outside Switzerland, I serve my pastetli with Kettmeir Müller Thurgau from neighbouring Trentino-Alto Adige. See video below for highlights of my small-group Swiss food & wine tour where you’ll discover more Swiss specialties.

Serves 4 as a starter or 2 as a main

Ingredients
  • 4 vol-au-vent cases
  • 2 pork and fennel sausages (about 200g/7oz meat)
  • 400ml beef or chicken stock (1⅔ cups)
  • ⅓ cup white wine (80ml)
  • 40g butter (1½oz)
  • 1 tablespoon plain flour
  • 2 tablespoons cream (40ml)
  • Salt flakes and freshly ground white pepper, to taste
  • 200g button mushrooms (7oz), halved and finely sliced
  • Salad, for serving (optional)
Method
  1. Preheat oven to 170°C (325°F).
  2. Place vol au vent cases on a baking tray and set aside.
  3. Remove sausage meat from its casing and use damp hands to roll into small meatballs, a bit larger than a pea (you’ll get about 28).
  4. Bring the combined stock and wine to the boil in a small saucepan, add meatballs, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
  5. Scoop meatballs out of the stock with a slotted spoon and set aside.
  6. Increase heat under the stock and boil until reduced to about 1 cup (250ml).
  7. Meanwhile, melt half the butter in a small frying pan over medium heat, add mushrooms and a good pinch of salt and cook, covered, for 5–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Set aside.
  8. Melt remaining butter in another saucepan over low heat, stir in flour and cook for 2 minutes.
  9. Add reduced stock to the flour mixture, increase heat to medium–high and stir until it comes to the boil and thickens.
  10. Stir in meatballs, mushroom (and any cooking liquid) and cream.
  11. Taste and add salt and pepper. Remove from heat, cover and set aside to keep warm.
  12. Place vol-au-vent cases in the oven for 6–8 minutes, until heated through.
  13. Return sauce to the boil.
  14. Spoon into vol-au-vent cases and serve hot with a salad garnish if you like.
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Swiss Food & Wine Tour Highlights

What Other Travellers Say

Andrea (Adelaide, SA, Aus)
Andrea (Adelaide, SA, Aus)
Switzerland with Roberta was all I hoped and expected – she takes control of all the things I no longer want to decide. Roberta plans the itinerary to such an amazing extent – the food choices and venues always showcase the region we’re in and never disappoint. The small group works extremely well, with enough downtime to do your own thing but beautifully combined with an itinerary which encompasses all the things you want to see and more. My trip to Switzerland was my second adventure with Roberta – my first was Emilia-Romagna and I’ve already booked my next one to Scotland.
Belinda (Balmain, NSW, Aus)
Belinda (Balmain, NSW, Aus)
I had such a blast on the Swiss food and wine tour with Roberta. As a solo traveller, I loved the friendly small group vibe and the fact that all meals and transport were taken care of. I got to explore amazing villages and wineries and cheese producers that I would have missed if I'd been travelling on my own. It was so much fun that I've already booked my next tour with Roberta.
Teri (Pokolbin, NSW, Aus)
Teri (Pokolbin, NSW, Aus)
Thank you Roberta for organising such a wonderful Swiss tour! It felt like going from gem to gem – and your knowledge and passion for the places we visited and the people you introduced us to was evident throughout. Starting in the most charming village and finishing at such a grand and beautiful location, I remember thinking at our farewell lunch: “it doesn’t get much better than this!” Thank you, and I am already looking forward to my next trip with you.
Kirstina (Cremorne, NSW, Aus)
Kirstina (Cremorne, NSW, Aus)
My husband and I had never travelled in Switzerland before, and we were so glad we chose Roberta to show us ‘Her Switzerland’. Roberta's knowledge, enthusiasm and passion for food and wine made every day an adventure. Every meal was a delicious, interesting experience where we learnt a lot about Swiss foods and wines, which were truly excellent. One of the many highlights was mushroom foraging in an Emmental forest then joining our local fungi expert in her home for lunch. Roberta's ability to scout unique accommodation and experiences truly made for a trip we will never forget.
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