DEEP-FILLED CHEESY PIE

Even meat lovers will want another slice of this pie. The cheese sauce helps it feel filling.

SERVES 6

✣ 1 butternut squash (500g/ 1lb 2oz), peeled and chopped

✣ 200g (7oz) shallots, peeled

✣ 2tbsp olive oil

✣ 2 courgettes, chopped

✣ 250g (9oz) mushrooms, sliced

✣ 25g (¾oz) butter

✣ 25g (¾oz) plain flour

✣ 300ml (½pt) milk, plus extra for brushing

✣ 250ml (8fl oz) white wine

✣ 1tbsp Dijon mustard

✣ 75g (2½oz) Gruyère cheese, grated

✣ 375g (13oz) pack block shortcrust pastry

You will need:

✣ 1.25ltr (2pt) pie dish

1 Heat the oven to 200C/ Gas 6. Put the squash and shallots into a roasting tin and toss with 1tbsp oil. Roast for 30 mins, until tender. 2 Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a large sauté pan and fry the courgettes and mushrooms in batches with plenty of seasoning until tender and browned, about 10 mins. 3 In a separate pan, melt the butter, stir in the flour and cook for 1 min. Slowly add the milk, stirring all the time, then add the wine. Increase the heat, bring to the boil, then simmer for 5 mins. Add the mustard and cheese and set aside. Put all the cooked veg into the baking dish and mix with the cheese sauce.

4 Roll out the pastry on a floured surface. Cut a long strip, brush the pie dish rim with milk and press the pastry strip onto the edge. Lay the rolled pastry over the top, then trim and crimp the edges. Brush with milk and cut 2 slits in the top to allow the steam to escape. Bake for 20-25 mins, until golden and the pastry is cooked through.

This can easily be halved and split between two smaller pie dishes if you want to get a couple of dinners done in one go.