Butternut Squash, Spinach, Feta and Pine Nut Christmas Wreath
This stunning Christmas dinner centerpiece is a delicious festive accompaniment or vegetarian alternative to traditional turkey. The tasty butternut squash, spinach, feta and pine nut filling will be an instant crowd pleaser and cooking on Bacofoil® The Non-Stick Kitchen Foil will ensure the wreath comes out of the oven exactly as it went in. Unlike other foils, the unique BacoLift® surface stops food from sticking and takes the hassle out of washing up. Present on a platter with fresh herbs and cranberries and serve with all your favourite Christmas dinner accompaniments.
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 2 hours
Serves 8
Ingredients
400g plain flour
Pinch of salt
200g cold butter, cut into chunks
6 tbsp cold water
1 large butternut squash
3 cloves garlic, unpeeled and smashed
Pinch of sea salt and black pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, peeled and cut into chunky slices or diced
50g pine nuts
2 tbsp chopped fresh herbs (a mixture of thyme, sage, rosemary and parsley)
200g feta cheese, crumbled
200g baby spinach
250g ricotta cheese
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
1 egg
2 tbsp milk
2 tbsp mixed seeds
Method
For the filling, peel, de-seed and chop the squash into 2cm pieces and place onto a baking tray lined with Bacofoil® The Non-Stick Kitchen Foil non shiny side facing up (this will ensure the squash doesn’t stick). Add the garlic cloves, season with salt and pepper and drizzle over the oil. Roast for 30 minutes.
Stir the squash then add the onion and pine nuts and roast for a further 15-20 minutes until the squash is tender but not too soft. Squeeze the garlic out of the skins and mash. Discard the skins and mix the roast garlic through. Set aside to cool.
For the pastry, blitz the flour, salt and butter in a food processor for a few seconds until it resembles fine breadcrumbs then add 4 tablespoons of cold water and whizz for a few more seconds until it starts to clump together. Tip onto a board and press together and form into a log shape. Wrap in Bacofoil® All Purpose Cling Film and chill.
Now make the spinach filling. Drain the ricotta on 2 pieces of kitchen paper to absorb some of the moisture. Wash the spinach then roughly chop it and place into a large lidded saucepan. Wilt over a medium heat for a couple of minutes only then drain and cool. Transfer the spinach to a bowl and mix with ricotta, nutmeg and black pepper. Add half of the feta and mix again then set aside
Mix the rest of the feta and all the chopped herbs into the squash filling. Preheat the oven to 160ºC fan/180ºC/Gas 4. Line another large square baking tray with Bacofoil® The Non-Stick Kitchen Foil
Unwrap the pastry and roll out on a large, floured board into a very long, thin rectangle approx. 60cm x 20cm. Trim the edges and keep aside. Arrange the spinach filling along the length of the pastry, keeping a gap on either side. Top with the squash mixture
Beat the egg with the milk and brush a little along the two long edges of pastry. Carefully roll away from you to form a long sausage shape, with the seam on the bottom. Transfer to the lined baking tray and form gently into a ring. Brush the ends with egg wash and join together, then brush all over the top with egg wash and sprinkle with the seeds. Make a few diagonal slashes in the pastry
Roll out the remaining pastry and use star cutters to make some stars. Arrange the stars on the wreath, using a little egg wash to secure and glaze
Cook in the oven for 45 minutes then cover loosely with a piece of Bacofoil® The Non-Stick Kitchen Foil, which will stop it browning too much. Cook for a further 10-15 minutes until golden. Place onto a platter and decorate with fresh herbs and cranberries and serve with all your favourite Christmas dinner accompaniments