Whole roasted butternut squash with Christmas stuffing
Looking for a vegan centrepiece for Christmas dinner? This roasted butternut squash is the answer, packed with festive, flavourful stuffing
Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and fry the onion for 10 mins until soft but not golden. Add the garlic and fry for another minute, then add the kale and stock. Cover and cook for 5 mins until the kale starts to wilt, then remove the lid and cook for another 5 mins until the stock has evaporated. Season, then add the pine nuts and thyme. Tip into a bowl and cool to room temperature.
Unravel one of the pastry sheets on a work surface and roll out so it’s 5cm wider and longer. Cut into four even rectangles, then transfer to a baking-parchment-lined baking tray and chill. Unravel the second pastry sheet, cut into four and chill.
Fold the beetroot and stilton into the cooled kale mixture. Remove the four smaller pastry rectangles from the fridge and spoon the filling over the middles of the rectangles, leaving a 1cm border and piling it up slightly. The filling will sink when baked, so they need to be quite full before adding the lids.
Brush the exposed border with some of the beaten egg and lay the larger pastry rectangles on top. Crimp the edges to seal. Cut a small steam hole in the tops, glaze with more beaten egg and chill for 30 mins.
Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Put the wellingtons on a baking-parchment-lined baking tray and bake for 40 mins until golden and crisp. Use a metal skewer to check the filling is piping hot, then serve with a mulled wine or port-infused gravy, if you like.