Squash, sage and sourdough bake
It took quite a bit of preparation, but well worth it – we have four portions in the freezer and it was absolutely delicious! We enjoyed it with M&S Italian Style sausages and a small amount of stir-fried leek and cabbage and mashed swede and carrot.
I think many vegetarians would be very happy with this (minus the sausages, of course….)
Preparation Time: 45 mins
Cooking Time: 1 hr 45 mins
Serves: 6
Calories per serving: 246.4
Ingredients
Butternut Squash – 1150g
Olive Oil – 10ml
Red Onions – 220g
Garlic – 4 Cloves/12g
Sourdough Bread – 100g
Chilli Peppers, Red – 2 Peppers/26g
Lemon Zest – 2 Tsps/4g
Double Cream Alternative – 1 50g/50g
Knorr Vegetable Stock Pot – 1 Pot/28g
Water – 300ml
Pecorino Cheese – 100g
Pumpkin Seeds – 1½ Tbsps/15g
Fresh Sage – 2 Tsps/1.6g
Method
Heat oven to 140C. Peel and dice red onion. Peel and finely slice the garlic. Peel the butternut squash, cut in half lengthwise, remove seeds, and slice into semi-circles, keeping the slices as thin as possible. Wash the sage leaves and finely slice. Remove the zest from the lemon. Finely chop the chilli peppers.
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onions and fry stirring regularly (don’t allow to brown). Once softened, add the garlic and continue to cook for a further 5-10 minutes. Switch off the heat and add the chopped sage, stirring through and set aside.
Take a large shallow casserole dish. Starting with a layer of butternut squash, alternatively layer the sliced butternut squash with the onion/garlic, finishing with a layer of butternut squash.
Make up the stock pot with 300ml of boiling water, stir until dissolved and set aside. Measure the flour into a small bowl, add a few spoonfuls of the stock and mix into a smooth paste. Add the stock a little at a time until completely combined with the flour. Add the cream alternative into the mixture.
Pour the mixture gently over the butternut squash and onion layers.
Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper. Cover the dish in foil, place into the oven and bake for 1.5 hours.
Whizz up the sourdough in a food processor using the “pulse” button to make breadcrumbs. Mix with the lemon zest and finely chopped fresh chillies. Finely grate the pecorino and mix in with the breadcrumbs.
Remove the bake from the oven and sprinkle over the breadcrumb/cheese mixture. Top with the pumpkin seeds. Turn up the oven to 180 degrees and continue to cook the bake for a further 15 minutes until the breadcrumbs are golden and the cheese is melted.
Remove from the oven and allow to settle for a couple of mins before serving.
Nutrition Data Per Serving
Calories (kcal) 246.4
Protein (g) 8.9
Carbohydrate (g) 27.4
Fat (g) 11.4
Fruit & Veg 2.7
Fibre (g) 4.0