This one is pretty special and is the most wonderful Christmas centrepiece for all your festive feasting. Crispy pastry encases sweet roasted butternut squash, vibrant green spinach, and creamy ricotta. We’re got a great vegan ricotta recipe below too, so this could become one delicious centrepiece that everyone can enjoy!
Butternut squash Christmas Wreath
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Ingredients
- 450g butternut squash, peeled and cut into small chunks
- 1 red onion, sliced
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon of dried sage
- 80g spinach
- 2 rolls of puff pastry (vegan if required)
- Egg wash, or 2 tablespoons of maple syrup + 2 tablespoons of plant milk if you're making it vegan
- Fresh sage leaves
- Cranberry sauce
- Ricotta, or use vegan recipe below
- FOR THE VEGAN RICOTTA:
- 65g cashew nuts (soaked in water overnight or boiling water for 1 hour)
- 115g silken tofu
- Juice from half a Lemon
- 1 tablespoon of Nutritional yeast
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt
Instructions
Preheat oven to 180c and line a baking tray.
Scatter the butternut squash chunks onto the tray, drizzle with oil and place in oven for 45 minutes until soft and caramelised.
Meanwhile if you’re making the vegan ricotta, drain the soaked cashew nuts and place them in a blender with the rest of the ricotta ingredients. Blend on a high speed until smooth.
Heat a little oil in a saucepan on a medium heat add the red onions, garlic clove and balsamic vinegar.
After a few minutes add the dried sage, spinach and roasted butternut squash chunks.
Stir until the spinach is wilted and then take the pan off of the heat.
Next, roll out both sheets of puff pastry on a work surface.
Cut the rectangles into large circles using a plate or a round object. You can save the off cuts of pastry to make into decorations later.
Now on one sheet using a smaller circular object cut a small circle out of the middle. Put this ring of pastry to one side. It will go on top.
Using the same smaller object used to cut the small circle on the previous piece of pastry, score a circle on the next piece of pastry, bu do not cut through like before.
Cut two lines (one horizontal and one vertical to make a cross) in the smaller circle to divide the small circle in four.
Next, load the butternut squash mixture around the ring of the pastry leaving a small gap around the sides.
Add the ricotta on top of the butternut squash mixture, and then place the top piece of pastry on top.
Seal the outer edges of the wreath with your fingers and then pull the four corners from within the small circle of the bottom layer of pastry up and over the top to seal the inside.
Cut desired shapes into the off cuts of pastry and place on top of the wreath.
Brush on the egg wash and place the wreath in the oven for 30 minutes until golden, crispy and cooked through.
Leave to cool slightly before topping with sage leaves and eating. It tastes delicious with cranberry sauce too.
