Serves 6-8
400g butternut squash, cubed
1 red onion, sliced
Olive oil
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 tbsp fresh sage, finely chopped
50g soft goat’s cheese
2 large peppers
1 courgette, sliced
150g baby spinach
100g ricotta
½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
500g shortcrust pastry
1 large egg, beatenPicnic pie
This lovely layered veggie pie
beats soggy sandwiches hands
down. One slice is never enough...1 Pre-heat the oven to 200C/
180C Fan/Gas 6.
2 Peel and deseed the butternut
squash and cut it into small cubes.
Place on a baking tray with the sliced
onion, drizzle with olive oil, season
with salt and pepper and roast for
30 mins, or until soft. After 20 mins,
add the rosemary and sage.
3 Transfer to a bowl and, when cool,
stir in the goat’s cheese and set aside.
Place the peppers, whole, on a
separate baking sheet and cook
for 30 mins or until the skin blackens.
Allow to cool before peeling the skin,
deseeding and cutting into slices.
Allow to drain in a sieve until ready
to assemble. Heat a frying pan with
a little olive oil and add the sliced
courgette. You may need to do this in
batches. Cook each side until brown,
then transfer to a plate and set aside.
4 In the same pan, add the spinach,
allow to wilt in the heat for 2-3 mins,
transfer to a colander and, when cool
enough to handle, squeeze out the
excess moisture. Chop up and place ina large bowl. Add the ricotta, sprinkle
in the nutmeg, season with salt and
pepper and stir to combine. Set aside.
5 Grease a 20cm spring-form tin.
Lightly flour a surface and roll out two
thirds of the pastry to cover the base
and tin sides. Carefully press into the
tin leaving some overhang, then trim
the rest. With the remaining pastry,
roll out a circle large enough to cover
the top of the tin and set aside.
Spread the base with the spinach
mix, followed by the pepper slices,
then a layer of courgettes and finally
the butternut squash mix. Add the
pastry top, crimp the edges to seal
the pie and make a hole in the top
for the steam to escape.
6 Brush the top with the beaten
egg and bake for 50 mins or until
the top is golden brown. Leave to
cool completely before removing
from the tin. Slice to serve.
Cook’s note: This pie is good hot or
cold. so, it’s great for a picnic. It can
be made the day before, simply keep
in the fridge until ready to serve.Serves6-8
400gbutternutsquash,cubed
1 redonion,sliced
Oliveoil
1 tbspfreshrosemary,finelychopped
1 tbspfreshsage,finelychopped
50gsoftgoat’s cheese
2 largepeppers
1 courgette,sliced
150gbabyspinach
100gricotta
½ tspfreshlygratednutmeg
500gshortcrustpastry
1 largeegg,beaten
Picnicpie
This lovely layered veggie pie
beats soggy sandwiches hands
down. One slice is never enough...1 Pre-heat the oven to 200C/
180C Fan/Gas 6.
2 Peel and deseed the butternut
squash and cut it into small cubes.
Place on a baking tray with the sliced
onion, drizzle with olive oil, season
with salt and pepper and roast for
30 mins, or until soft. After 20 mins,
add the rosemary and sage.
3 Transfer to a bowl and, when cool,
stir in the goat’s cheese and set aside.
Place the peppers, whole, on a
separate baking sheet and cook
for 30 mins or until the skin blackens.
Allow to cool before peeling the skin,
deseeding and cutting into slices.
Allow to drain in a sieve until ready
to assemble. Heat a frying pan with
a little olive oil and add the sliced
courgette. You may need to do this in
batches. Cook each side until brown,
then transfer to a plate and set aside.
4 In the same pan, add the spinach,
allow to wilt in the heat for 2-3 mins,
transfer to a colander and, when cool
enough to handle, squeeze out the
excess moisture. Chop up and place ina large bowl. Add the ricotta, sprinkle
in the nutmeg, season with salt and
pepper and stir to combine. Set aside.
5 Grease a 20cm spring-form tin.
Lightly flour a surface and roll out two
thirds of the pastry to cover the base
and tin sides. Carefully press into the
tin leaving some overhang, then trim
the rest. With the remaining pastry,
roll out a circle large enough to cover
the top of the tin and set aside.
Spread the base with the spinach
mix, followed by the pepper slices,
then a layer of courgettes and finally
the butternut squash mix. Add the
pastry top, crimp the edges to seal
the pie and make a hole in the top
for the steam to escape.
6 Brush the top with the beaten
egg and bake for 50 mins or until
the top is golden brown. Leave to
cool completely before removing
from the tin. Slice to serve.
Cook’s note: This pie is good hot or
cold. so, it’s great for a picnic. It can
be made the day before, simply keep
in the fridge until ready to serve.