Butternut squash tart with pumpkin seed pesto
Ingredients
- 350g butternut squash neck part, peeled and cut into 3mm slices
- 1tsp thyme leaves
- 2 pinches of dried chilli flakes
- 1½ tbsp maple syrup
- 1½ tbsp olive oil flour for dusting
- 500g vegan puff pastry thawed if frozen
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Rocket to serve
For the pumpkin seed pesto:
- 20g pumpkin seeds
- 15g pine nuts
- 30g basil leaves
- ½ garlic clove
- A squeeze of lemon juice or to taste
- 50ml extra virgin olive oil
Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan, gas 6) and line a baking sheet with baking parchment. Put the butternut squash slices in a bowl and add the thyme, chilli flakes, maple syrup and oil. Season with salt and pepper, then toss together to coat.
On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the pastry to 5mm thick. Using a dinner plate or something similar as a guide, cut a circle from the pastry about 27cm in diameter. Put the pastry circle on the prepared baking sheet and, using the tip of a sharp knife, score a circle about 1cm from the edge. Arrange the butternut slices on top of the pastry, overlapping the slices and making sure you stay clear of the scored edge.
Put a sheet of baking parchment on top of the tart, and another baking sheet on top, then bake for 20 minutes. Remove the top baking sheet and baking parchment, and continue cooking for 25–30 minutes until the pastry is perfectly golden brown and puffed around the edges. While the tart is baking, make the pumpkin seed pesto.
Toast the pumpkin seeds and pine nuts in a dry frying pan over a medium-high heat for 1–2 minutes until the pumpkin seeds start to pop and both seeds are fragrant and lightly browned.
Put the seeds and the remaining pesto ingredients into a mini blender and pulse until combined. (Alternatively, you could use a mortar and pestle, adding the oil at the end.) Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle the tart with the pesto and serve with some rocket leaves.
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This Recipe is from Feed Me Vegan by Lucy Watson, published by Sphere .
