Ingredients

• 1kg/2lb 3oz butternut squash
• peeled
• seeds removed and cut into 1.5cm/½in cubes
• 1 red onion
• thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 12 sage leaves
• shredded
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 800g/1lb 12oz ready-made puff pastry
• 120g/4oz pecans
• toasted
• 500g/1lb ricotta
• 4 tbsp pumpkin seed oil
• 1 free-range egg
• pinch salt
• 3 tbsp flour
• plus extra for dusting

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 200C/390F/Gas 6 and line a baking tray with baking parchment.
• Mix the butternut squash
• onion
• olive oil and the sage together
• season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and place inside the lined baking tray.
• Roast until the squash is cooked (when a knife goes through it easily)
• then take from the oven and leave to cool.
• Divide the pastry in half and roll each half out to a 60x20cm/24x8in rectangle on a lightly dusted work surface. Using a 20cm/8in diameter plate as a template
• cut out three rounds from each piece. Lay these on a baking sheet and put in the fridge to rest for at least 20 minutes.
• Once the butternut squash has cooled
• tip it into a large bowl and mix in the pecans
• ricotta and pumpkin seed oil
• making sure you don't crush the squash.
• Take the pastry rounds from the fridge and allow them to come up to room temperature.
• Beat the egg with a pinch of salt and brush the pastry completely on one side with the egg-wash - it'll be easier to do this one piece at a time.
• Take one-sixth of the butternut squash mixture and dollop it in the centre of a pastry round
• then carefully fold the pastry in half
• making sure the filling is enclosed.
• Dip a fork in the flour and use it to press down and seal the edges. Try to squeeze out excess air as you do this - otherwise it can make the pastie pop open in the heat of the oven. As you finish each pastie
• place it on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment. Brush the remaining egg-wash over the pasties and prick each one several times with the fork.
• Bake for 25-35 minutes
• until the pastry is golden and cooked through.
• Serve straight out of the oven or leave them to cool and take on a picnic.