SQUASH AND FETA BAKLAVA

INGREDIENTS

1 medium butternut squash, peeled and diced

3 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp cumin seeds, plus extra for sprinkling

4 tbsp Bart’s harissa paste

250g spinach

2 onions, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

50g sultanas

100ml white wine

40g pine nuts, toasted

200g feta, crumbled

150g fresh or defrosted filo pastry

75g butter, melted

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 200˚C/180˚C fan assisted/Gas 6. Place the squash in a 20cm x 30cm tin and drizzle with half the oil. Season well and roast for 15 minutes. Add the cumin and harissa paste and roast for a further 10 minutes until tender. Set to one side.

2. Wilt the spinach in a large non-stick frying pan with a splash of water. Tip into a colander to drain, and when cool enough to handle, squeeze out all the excess water. Roughly chop and scatter over the roasted squash.

3. Heat the oil in the same frying pan, add the onions and gently cook for 10 minutes until perfectly softened. Add the garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the sultanas, add the wine and bubble until the wine has cooked off. Scatter the onion mixture over the squash and then top with the feta cheese. Gently combine the mixture until the ingredients are evenly distributed.

4. Turn the oven up to 180˚C/160˚C fan assisted/Gas 5. Cut the filo sheets so that they fit the dimensions of the tin exactly. Place a sheet on top of the mixture and brush with the melted butter. Repeat with all the sheets, brushing with butter as you go – aim to use about 10 sheets in total. Cut through the filo sheets to create a diamond pattern, scatter with cumin seeds and bake for 30 minutes, until golden. Allow to cool a little before slicing. Perfect with salad, dips and flatbreads.

You’ll be glad to hear that the tin size for this recipe this doesn’t have to be exact – if you have one that is just a little bit bigger or smaller, it really shouldn’t matter.