Squash, lentil, tomato and rosemary pie

Squash, lentil, tomato and rosemary pie

Autumn

I have some experience with pies. I eat pies, I make pies, I don’t throw pies (except maybe once,
but he’d been incredibly rude) and I love pies. So, I feel qualified to judge this pie up there with the holy trinity: steak and kidney, chicken, and fish (mum’s recipe). The squash-and-lentil filling remains incredibly moist thanks to ripe tomatoes. I like to crumble over some barrel-aged feta for a salty twang; capers or chopped sun-dried tomatoes would work well too.

Serves 6

Ingredients

For the pastry

  • 300g (10½oz) plain flour
  • 150g (5½oz) unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
  • Pinch of fine sea salt
  • About 150ml (5fl oz) chilled water

For the filling

  • 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 onions, thinly sliced
  • 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 2 tsp crushed coriander seeds
  • 1 heaped tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 large squash (1–1.5kg/2lb 4oz–3lb 5oz), such as butternut or Crown Prince, peeled, halved, deseeded and diced
  • 500g (1lb 2oz) large, ripe tomatoes, skinned and chopped (see page 144), or 1 × 400g (14oz) tin of chopped tomatoes
  • 150g (5½oz) red lentils
  • 2 rosemary sprigs, leaves stripped and roughly chopped
  • 750ml (26fl oz) vegetable stock
  • 1 handful of flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 small handful of chives, finely chopped
  • 200g (7oz) feta cheese, broken into chunks
  • 1 small handful of fennel tops, if available, torn
  • Flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

First, make the pastry. Pulse the flour, butter and salt in a food processor to the consistency of breadcrumbs. With the motor running, steadily add the chilled water, stopping as soon as the dough comes together. Remove the dough, knead it a couple of times, then wrap it in parchment and chill it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

While the pastry is in the fridge, make the filling. Place a large, heavy- based pan on a medium heat and add the olive oil. When it’s hot, add the onions, garlic, coriander and paprika. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring regularly, for 10–12 minutes, or until the onions are soft and fragrant. Add the squash, tomatoes, lentils and rosemary and stir well. Pour over the stock, stir again, and bring up to the simmer. Reduce the heat a little and cook, stirring occasionally, for 30–40 minutes, until the squash starts to break down, the lentils are soft and have thickened the sauce nicely and everything looks godly. Season, taste and season some more, then stir in the parsley and chives, remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Remove the chilled pastry from the fridge about 30 minutes before you intend to bake the pie. Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/gas mark 6.

Grease and flour a 30 x 20cm (12 x 8in) pie dish or something similar. Roll out the pastry on a floured surface as evenly as you can until you have
a sheet large enough to line the base and sides of the dish with a good overhang. Spoon the filling into the lined dish. Push in the chunks of feta and fold the overhang up and over the edges to partly encase. Season with some flaky salt and some pepper, scatter over the torn fennel tops (if using), then bake for 40 minutes, until the pastry is crisp and golden. Allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.

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