These tasty  vegetable pasties combine the mellow flavours of oven roasted, seasonal root vegetables and pumpkin with the kick of kalamata olives and Italian herbs. Baking vegetables enhances their flavour and brings out their sweetness. The depth of flavour will surprise you.

This is also a great way to use any left over baked vegetables. The pasties are just right for lunch with your favourite soup or as a snack on their own.

Roasted Vegetable Pasties

Ingredients:

Roasted Vegetables;

• 1/4 Butternut Pumpkin, peeled, sliced thickly and cut into chunks
• 1/2 sweet potato, peeled, sliced thickly and cut into chunks
• 2 large Desiree Potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges
• 1 large onion, peeled, halved and each cut into quarters
• 1 large carrot, peeled and cut thickly on the diagonal
• 10 Kalamata olives, pitted and cut into quarters
• olive oil
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• McCormick’s Italian Herbs ( a mixture of Marjoram, Thyme, Rosemary, Savory, Sage, Oregano, Basil) You can make up a similar mix if not available.

Pasties:

Shortcrust Pastry:

• 2 cups plain flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 85 g butter
• 8 Tblsp chilled water
• Sea salt flakes
• Nigella seeds

Method

Roasted Vegetables:

1. Preheat oven to 200º C F
2. Drizzle olive oil onto a large stainless steel baking dish
3. Scatter the pieces of sweet potato, desiree potato, pumpkin, carrot and onion over the baking dish
4. Scatter over the kalamata olive pieces
5. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper
6. Sprinkle over the Italian herbs
7. Drizzle more olive oil over the vegetables
8. Using your hands mix the vegetables well, ensuring that all the pieces of vegetable are well coated with oil and herbs and making sure that the pieces do not overlap and that they lie flat on the tray
9. Place the tray into the preheated oven and place a sheet of aluminium foil loosely over the tray
10. Bake for 1 hour until tender
11. Set the vegetables aside until cold

    

12. When cold, prepare the roasted vegetables for the filling by cutting all the pieces into 1cm cubes as shown below
13. Prepare the shortcrust pastry

Shortcrust Pastry:

1. Using a food processor and the chopping blade, add flour and salt and securing the cover, process for 5 seconds. (equivalent to sifting)
2. Add butter and process until combined, about 15 seconds
3. Add water through the feed tube and process until the pastry forms a ball.
4. Cover the pastry in cling wrap and rest for half and hour in the fridge

Assembling the Vegetable Pasties:

1. Take a piece of pastry the size of a golf ball and roll into a disc 10 cm in diameter or so
2. Place a heaped tablespoon of the filling in the centre then fold the disc in half over the filling and press the edges down
3. Fold over the edge of the pasty pressing well to secure and turning in and pressing the ends up to fully enclose the mixture

   

4. Lift up the “parcel” that is formed to bring the edge to the centre and frill the edge.
   Take a portion of the edge in the left hand and the next bit along with the the right hand.
5. Working right to left, push the edge up with the left hand and down with the right hand,  the opposite way. Continue all along the edge and this will create a frill.

   

6. Place the pasties on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Prick the pasties on both sides of the frill with a fork
7. Brush the pasties with milk and sprinkle with sea salt flakes and nigella seeds
8. Bake at 200 C for 10 minutes and then lower to 180 C for a further 20 minutes till they are golden brown and crisp
9. Remove from the oven to a cooling rack and serve hot or cold as an accompaniment to your favourite soup or with a green garden salad

This recipe will make 12 small pasties.