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