Butternut squash, feta and sage filo pie

Ideal Autumn evening meal a vegetarian pie recipe made with seasonal autumn vegetables and a flaky pastry top.

Prep 20 min
Cook 2 hr 5 min
Serves 6

10 sheets filo pastry (ie, a 250g packet)
90g unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for greasing
30g caster sugar
1 tbsp icing sugar, to dust

For the filling
60ml olive oil
2 onions, peeled, halved and cut into ½cm-thick slices
Salt and black pepper
5g sage leaves, finely chopped
10g parsley, roughly chopped
150g feta, roughly crumbled
2 tsp lemon zest
½ butternut squash, peeled, cut in half, deseeded and then cut into 1½cm-thick half-moons (650g net weight)
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Heat the oven to 220C (200C fan)/425F/gas 7, and grease and line the base and sides of a 23cm springform cake tin.

Put two tablespoons of oil in a large saute pan on a medium-high heat. Once hot, turn down the heat to medium, add the onions and a quarter-teaspoon of salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and nicely caramelised – about 40 minutes; don’t be tempted to skimp on the time, because it’s crucial to get the onions to the right point. Off the heat, stir in the herbs, feta, lemon zest, an eighth of a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper.

Meanwhile, line a large oven tray with baking paper, put the butternut squash, cinnamon, remaining two tablespoons of oil, half a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper on top, then toss with your hands to coat. Bake for 30 minutes, flipping the squash once halfway, or until cooked through and lightly coloured.

Turn down the oven to 190C (170C fan)/335F/gas 5. Put the filo sheets under a slightly damp, clean cloth. Take out one sheet, brush it all over with melted butter and sprinkle with half a teaspoon of caster sugar. Transfer to the prepared cake tin, pressing it into the base and letting any excess hang over the sides. Repeat with four more sheets of filo, rotating each one slightly, so the excess pastry hangs out at a different angle each time.

Lay the squash in the base of the pie, overlapping them slightly, then top with the onions, pushing them down to compress the filling mixture.

Take another sheet of filo, brush with melted butter and sprinkle with half a teaspoon of caster sugar. Roughly scrunch it up like a tissue, then arrange on top of the exposed filling. Repeat with the remaining four sheets of filo, to cover the filling completely, then fold in all the overhang, scrunching it up as you do so.

Lift the tin on to an oven tray, then bake for 50 minutes. Remove from the oven, use a tea towel to release the tin, then lift off the outer ring and baking paper (leaving the pie on the base), and return to the oven for 20 minutes more, or until browned and caramelised all over. Remove from the oven, leave to cool for about 15 minutes, then transfer the pie to a plate or board, and dust all over with the icing sugar just before serving.