Nut casserole with squash, made from frozen

• butternut squash↗500g g

  peeled and diced into 2 cm cubes

• olive oil↗4 tbsp tbsp
• dried porcini mushrooms↗25g g
• button mushrooms↗200g g

  finely chopped

• onion↗1

  finely chopped

• garlic cloves↗4

  finely chopped

• sprigs of rosemary↗4

  leaves removed and finely chopped

• dried breadcrumbs↗50g g
• Puy lentils↗250g pouch cooked g

  cooked (pouch)

• almonds↗50g blanched g

  finely chopped

• pecans↗50g g

  finely chopped

• walnuts↗50g g

  finely chopped

• zucchini↗1 small

  cut into 5 mm strips

• red pepper↗2 roasted

  roasted, cut in half lengthwise

• flat parsley↗handful of handful

  for serving

• мигдаль↗50g blanched
• пекан↗50g
• волоські горіхи↗50g
• перець кайєн↗1⁄4 tsp
• мелений кмин↗1⁄2 tsp
• цукрова пудра↗75g

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 200 °C/180 °C with convection/gas 6 and toss the squash with 2 tbsp olive oil. Transfer to a baking dish and bake for 30 min, turning halfway through, until tender and golden at the edges. Transfer to a bowl.

2. 2

   Place the dried porcini mushrooms in a small heat‑proof bowl, cover with boiling water and steep for 10 min, then drain and finely chop. Reserve the liquid for soaking.

3. 3

   Heat the remaining 2 tbsp oil in a non‑stick pan and sauté the button mushrooms, porcini and onion for 10‑15 min, until the mushroom liquid evaporates and the vegetables begin to caramelise. Add the garlic and rosemary, cook for another minute. Transfer to the bowl with the squash, add the breadcrumbs, lentils and all the nuts. Season, mix well and taste. Add 50 ml of the porcini liquid – the mixture should be moist but not soggy. Using a fork, mash everything together – it should resemble a dough rather than separate components.

4. 4

   Line a 900 g loaf pan with a long strip of parchment paper. Spread half of the butternut squash mixture onto the bottom of the pan, pressing to eliminate air pockets. Layer the zucchini slices evenly, then a layer of roasted red peppers, and finally the remaining squash, pressing again. Let cool completely, then wrap tightly. It can be stored in the freezer for up to three months.

5. 5

   Preheat the oven to 190 °C/170 °C with convection/gas 5. Unwrap and bake the frozen nut casserole for 1 hour, or until a small knife slides in easily and the centre is very hot.

6. 6

   For the spiced nut topping, spread all the nuts on a tray, toss with a little salt and spices, and bake together with the casserole for 8 min, until toasted and fragrant. In a small saucepan melt powdered sugar with 75 ml water, heating until the sugar dissolves. Transfer the nuts to a bowl and mix with the sugar syrup, then return them to the tray and bake another 10 min, until sticky. Turn the casserole onto a serving board and sprinkle with the spiced nuts and parsley.