I saw this recipe on BBC good food and really wanted to have a go. I didn’t have a raised pie dish so only did one layer but it is still really impressive when you cut into it. I also didn’t make my own pastry either. Cumin is one of my favourite spices and I really liked the ras el hanout too. This is a real crowd pleaser as it is pretty and also tasty.

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 2 (about 1kg each) butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into thick slices
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp cumin seeds, toasted
• 2 tsp ras el hanout (from the spice section of most major supermarkets)
• Pinch of chilli flakes
• 2-3 red onions, thinly sliced
• 4 whole garlic cloves with skins on
• 750g bag of baby spinach
• 250g ricotta
• 200g soft, rindless vegetarian goat’s cheese, sliced
• 2 x ready roll puff pastry

Directions

1. preheat the oven to 200°C/fan180°C/gas 6. Scatter the sliced butternut squash and garlic cloves over 2 large roasting trays, drizzle with half the olive oil, scatter over the cumin seeds, ras el hanout and chilli flakes, and season well with salt and black pepper. Roast in the oven, stirring occasionally, for 40 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat a drizzle of olive oil to a pan, add the red onions and cook stirring frequently until soft and sweet. Remove the squash  from the oven, squeeze out the garlic from their skins, mash the roasted garlic into the onions and leave to cool slightly.
3. Place the spinach in a colander over the sink and pour over a kettle of boiling water. Refresh under cold water, then squeeze dry to remove all the excess water. Chop the spinach, put into a bowl, season and mix with the ricotta with a fork, then set aside.
4. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one of the puff pastry and use it to line the base and sides of a 23cm spring form tin. Add the spinach mixture in a layer, then distribute the roasted squash on top of that. Scatter with the goat’s cheese. Finally, add the garlicky onions in a layer on top.
5. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the other pack of pastry, then lay on top of the pie, pushing in the edges to seal well. Make a hole in the middle of the pie and decorate the top with a pattern or word from any leftover pastry. Brush the top of the pie with beaten egg and chill for 20 minutes.
6.  Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan180°C/gas 6 and bake for 30-35 minutes until the pastry is golden brown on top. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy.