You won’t miss the meat in this pie; with its crowning glory of whipped kūmara and little nuggets of goat’s cheese, it’ll fast become a favourite.
Serves: 4-6
INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 large carrot, peeled, grated
250 grams portobello mushrooms, peeled, sliced 1cm thick
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons each smoked paprika and dried tarragon
sea salt and ground pepper
2 packed cups baby spinach leaves, roughly chopped
400-gram tin lentils, drained and rinsed
2 cups tomato passata or chunky pasta sauce
Topping
1-kilogram Beauregard orange kūmara, peeled, cut into chunks
butter
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
100 grams soft goat’s cheese
parmesan for grating
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan bake.
Heat the oil in a large sauté pan. Add the onion, carrot, mushrooms, garlic, paprika, tarragon and a good pinch of salt and cook, stirring frequently, over a high heat for 5 minutes. The mushrooms will start to release their liquid.
Stir in the spinach to wilt then stir in the lentils and passata and bring to the boil. Transfer to an ovenproof baking dish.
Topping: Cook the kūmara in well-salted, boiling water until tender. Drain well and tip back into the saucepan. Place back over a low heat to remove excess moisture.
Mash with a good knob of butter and nutmeg and season generously with salt and pepper. Crumble in the goat’s cheese and fold together, leaving the goat’s cheese in small pieces.
To cook: Spoon the mash over the filling, top with a generous grating of parmesan, and bake for 20 minutes until bubbling and golden. Top with little nuggets of extra butter if inclined.
Change-outs: Leeks, thinly shredded silverbeet, thawed frozen peas, grated parsnips and chickpeas in the filling. The kūmara can be substituted with potatoes, parsnips or cauliflower to make the mash.
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Issue 128
This winter issue of dish is about comfort and connection. Celebrating the best of New Zealand and Australian produce, it brings together recipes from some of our most-loved chefs, including Moroccan Chicken Soup, Mint-glazed Roasted Leg of Lamb, Slow Cooker Braised Red Wine and Miso White Chocolate Cheesecake. Find plenty to carry you through the colder months, from flaky sausage rolls and mushroom pie, to soul-soothing pasta, nostalgic baking, weekend market inspiration and dinner party menus. There’s a spotlight on the Outstanding Food Producer Awards, recipes from Caroline Griffiths’ Midnight Spaghetti, and a deep dive into the difference between Kiwi syrah and Aussie shiraz.