A perfect Sunday meal, full of hearty vegetables with lots for flavour and texture. Great for plant based, vegans and the meat-less curios! This sunday classic has an excellent variety of vegetables and protein sources!

INGREDIENTS

1 large butternut squash, peeled and diced

1 head garlic, cloves peeled

4 tbsp olive oil

1 aubergine, diced into cubes

8 small shallots, diced

1 red pepper, diced into 1cm pieces

400g chickpeas, cooked and drained

125g blanched almonds, toasted

125g shelled pistachios

15g rosemary, leaves picked

15g thyme, leaves picked, reserving a few sprigs to garnish

15g parsley, leaves picked

100g pitted green olives, roughly chopped

60g fresh breadcrumbs

½ lemon, juiced

40g pomegranate seeds, to serve

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Grease a 23cm, deep tin with a little olive oil and line the base with baking paper. Toss the diced butternut squash with the garlic cloves and 2 tbsp of olive oil in a large bowl. Spread out over a large roasting tin and cook for 15-20 mins, or until soft, turning once halfway through cooking.

While the squash is cooking, heat a large, heavy frying pan over a medium heat with 1 tbsp olive oil. Add the aubergine and cook for 10-15 mins until softened and well browned, then transfer to a large bowl.

Add the remaining olive oil to the frying pan along with the shallots. Cook for 5-10 mins until softened, then add the pepper and cook for further 5 mins. Add to the bowl with the aubergine and set aside.

Once cooked, add the squash and roasted garlic cloves to a food processor and pulse until you have a chunky purée, then transfer to the bowl with the aubergine mixture.

Add the cooked and drained chickpeas, almonds, pistachios (reserving a few to garnish) and herbs to the food processor and pulse until roughly chopped. Add to the bowl along with the chopped olives, breadcrumbs and lemon juice. Season well and mix everything together until thoroughly combined.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth over the top. Bake for 50-55 mins, or until the top is golden. Allow to rest for 5 mins in the tin, then loosen the edges with a knife and carefully turn out onto a serving plate.

Garnish with the pomegranate seeds, reserved pistachios and thyme sprigs before slicing into wedges to serve.