Ainsley Harriott’s butternut squash, stilton and pecan pastry rolls

  • Portion size: Makes 8 rolls
  • Hands-on time 30 min. Oven time 50-60 min.
  • Difficulty: easy
Recipe by: Ainsley Harriott

Ainsley Harriott’s puff pastry rolls are filled with a delicious combo of sweet and nutty butternut squash, earthy sage and sharp blue cheese. Recipe taken from Ainsley’s Good Mood Food by Ainsley Harriott (Ebury Press £20).

For a meaty option, try our parmesan and pork sausage rolls.

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Ingredients

  • 850g butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into 2cm chunks
  • Olive oil for drizzling
  • Pinch chilli flakes
  • 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
  • 1 small garlic clove, crushed
  • 1 tbsp chopped sage leaves (or thyme if you prefer)
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped flatleaf parsley
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 50g pecans or walnuts, roughly chopped
  • 75g stilton or similar hard blue cheese, crumbled
  • 320g sheet ready-rolled puff pastry
  • Plain flour for dusting
  • 1 medium free-range egg, beaten with a dash of milk
  • 1/2 tsp nigella seed
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Method

  1. Heat the oven to 180ºC fan/gas 6. Line an oven tray with baking paper and set aside. Put the squash chunks on another oven tray and drizzle with a little oil. Sprinkle over the chilli flakes, toss to coat, then roast for 30-35 minutes or until tender. Remove and set aside to cool.
  2. Meanwhile, heat a little drizzle of oil in a small frying pan over a low-medium heat and cook the onion for 4 minutes until slightly softened. Add the garlic and sage, then cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
  3. Put the cooked squash in a bowl, leaving any oil behind in the tray, and add the parsley, nutmeg and cooled onion mixture. Use a fork to lightly crush the squash pieces, leaving some lumps for texture. Fold in the chopped nuts and crumbled cheese. Season well with salt and pepper.
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  5. Unroll the pastry sheet on a lightly floured work surface and cut in half l lengthways into two long strips. Divide the squash mixture in half and spoon it down the middle of each length of pastry. Roll the pastry around the filling to make a long sausage shape. Brush the seam edge with the beaten egg and press lightly to seal the join. Place seam-side down and cut each roll into 4 even lengths.
  6. Transfer to the lined baking tray. Brush the tops with the beaten egg mix. Use a sharp knife to score 3 slashes into the top of each pastry roll and scatter with nigella seeds. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. These are delicious served hot or cold.

Nutrition

  • 315kcals Calories
  • 20.7g (7.9g saturated) Fat
  • 7.5g Protein
  • 22.7g (5.7g sugars) Carbs
  • 3.7g Fibre
  • 0.6g Salt

Quick wins & tips

Ainsley says: “If you’re not a fan of blue cheese, you can use feta.”

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