Ingredients

Method

• For the bready pesto:
• ½ cup something chunky (sun-dried toms, olives, artichokes, deli veg, roast veg)
• 1 clove garlic
• 50 g hard cheese (parmy, pecorino, goat)
• 2 t chilli flakes
• 1 t mustard
• 5 g woody herbs (thyme, rosemary, oregano)
• 2 t something acidic (lemon juice, red wine vinegar)
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
For the marinated veggies:
• 6 slices sweet potato (cut into 5–7 mm pieces)
• 3 slices brinjal (cut into 5–7 mm pieces)
• 3 artichokes (cut into 5–7 mm pieces)
• 8 slices courgettes (cut into 5–7 mm pieces)
• 2 whole peppers
• salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• oil, for serving
• red wine vinegar, for serving
For the pie:
• 400 g ready-made frozen shortcrust pastry
• 400 g ready-made frozen puff pastry
• 2 T bready Pesto (from above)
• 6 slices marinated sweet potato (from above)
• 1 cup firmly packed baby spinach leaves
• 160 g provolone, thinly sliced
• 3 slices marinated brinjal (from above)
• 2 T basil pesto
• 125 g buffalo mozzarella, thinly sliced
• 3 marinated artichokes, coarsely chopped* (from above)
• 1 T fresh oregano leaves
• 2 marinated peppers, cut open at the edges to flatten (from above)
• 1 T olive tapenade
• 2 t dijon mustard
• 1 egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon of water

Method

Ingredients

To make the bready pesto:

1. Blend everything but the breadcrumbs in a food processor until smooth, chunky or loose – however you like it. Stir through the breadcrumbs then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

To make the marinated veggies: 

2. Slice all the the raw veg into 5–7 mm thick slices. Roast in a preheated 200°C  fan-forced oven on a baking tray lined with baking paper for 20 minutes. Season well and set aside to cool. Drizzle with oil and red wine vinegar.

To make the pie: 

3. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) fan-forced. Line a round pizza tray with baking paper.

4. Here’s where I repeat things I saw on TikTok – I hope I explain it properly! This is how to turn two square pastry sheets into one giant round. Roll each pastry sheet into a long cigar. Then roll the two cigars of shortcrust pastry into a large snail spiral. You can then use a rolling pin to roll this out into a 33 cm (13 inch) round. Place this on the pizza tray. Repeat the process with the puff pastry sheets, and set aside to use as the lid when ready.

5. Layer the ingredients onto the shortcrust base one at a time, separating wet with cheese and salad. This is how I stacked from BOTTOM to TOP, leaving a 4 cm (1½ inch) edge: bready pesto + sweet potato + half the baby spinach + a third of the provolone + eggplant + basil pesto + buffalo mozzarella + artichokes + fresh oregano + peppers + remaining baby spinach + another third of the provolone + zucchini + tapenade + the remaining provolone.

6. Spread dijon on the underside of the pie lid.

7. Brush the edge of the pie base with the egg wash, reserving some for the top.

8. Cover the pie with the puff pastry lid and gently push out any air bubbles.

9. Trim the pastry so you are dealing with a neat-ish edge, then pinch and crimp the pastry the whole way around. Brush the top with the remaining egg wash.

10. TikTok trick #2. Rather than score the puff pastry, we are trussing it! Tie cooking string underneath the pizza tray and up over the pie firmly. Repeat this another two to four times, depending on what size you would like to mark your pie slices at (3 strings = 6 slices).

11. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, until puffed and golden brown. Remove the string and allow the pie to cool slightly before cutting and serving.

Cook's note: The bready pesto is great as a crust for baked things and great on pasta. If you roast more veggies, it will keep for a week stored in an airtight container in the fridge.

Extracted with permission from Every. Night. of. the. Week. by Lucy Tweed. Published by Murdoch Books.

Find more vegetarian recipes here.