3 hrs 20 mins
Not Too Tricky
serves 8
About the recipe
Inspired by the Moroccan m’hanncha (which translates to snake), this one-pan bake makes an epic Christmas centrepiece. Hot, crispy, golden pastry with a proper festive filling, it’s a thing of joy!
Ingredients
1 butternut squash (1.2kg)
2 red onions
1 bulb of garlic
½ x 460g jar of roasted red peppers
1 x 700g jar or 2 x 400g tins of chickpeas
2 tablespoons ras el hanout, plus extra for dusting
1 bunch of mint (30g)
1 bunch of flat-leaf parsley (30g)
3 tablespoons dried cranberries
100g couscous
100g feta cheese
2 sprigs of rosemary
1 x 270g pack of filo pastry
1 tablespoon runny honey
2 tablespoons unsalted pistachios
1 lemon
1 stick of cinnamon
1 teaspoon rose harissa
2 x 400g tins of plum tomatoes
8 tablespoons natural yoghurt
Top Tip
MAKE IT VEGAN:
Simply remove the feta and ramp up the veg.
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Prick the butternut squash and place in a 28cm non-stick ovenproof frying pan, along with the unpeeled onions and garlic, and roast for 2 hours, or until soft and caramelised.
- Once cool enough to handle, carefully slice the squash in half, then remove and discard the seeds. Roughly chop and transfer to a large bowl. Squeeze the soft flesh out of the garlic, discarding the skins, then add to the bowl.
- Drain and roughly chop the peppers into 1cm chunks, add to the bowl and pour in half of the drained chickpeas. Add a pinch of sea salt and black pepper and the ras el hanout. Finely chop and add the parsley and mint (discarding any tough mint stalks). Add the dried cranberries and couscous to the mix, crumble in the feta, then use your hands to scrunch it all together.
- Quickly clean the pan and generously rub the inside of it with olive oil, sprinkle in a dusting of ras el hanout, scatter in a few chickpeas and pick in the leaves from 1 sprig of rosemary.
- Lay out a damp tea towel on a large work surface, with the longest edge facing you. Working quickly, but taking care, lay out 2 sheets of filo with the long edges towards you, overlapping each one by 2.5cm and brushing between the overlaps with water (you’re aiming for a 35cm-long cigar shape).
- As evenly as possible, spoon 1-inch of filling in a line along the long edge closest to you. Tuck in the sides and use the tea towel to help you roll it up and away from you into a giant cigar, then carefully transfer to the pan, tucking it into the edges, then repeat with the rest of the ingredients to create a pinwheel shape (like you see in the picture), working quickly but handling it gently to avoid too many cracks. Dust with a little more ras el hanout, scatter over a few chickpeas and pick over the leaves from the remaining rosemary sprig.
- Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil and bake for 45 minutes, or until beautifully crisp and golden. Turn out onto a board, then drizzle over the honey, and smash and sprinkle over the pistachios.
- To make the spiced tomato sauce, speed-peel 2 strips of lemon zest into the pan with 1 tablespoon of oil, along with the cinnamon stick and harissa, then scrunch in the tomatoes through your clean hands. Bring it to the boil for 1 minute only, then season to perfection with sea salt and black pepper. Serve alongside the bake, with dollops of harissa-rippled yoghurt.
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