This recipe for squash empanadas uses pre-made shortcrust pastry as a handy shortcut. The filling is the perfect balance of sweet, savoury and spicy, making them totally moreish. For vegetarians, they are just as good without the chorizo.
butternut squash empanadas
Makes 8 snack-size empanadas
400g butternut squash
1 small red onion
100g chorizo
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp sweet paprika
2 tsp dried sage
1 tbsp honey
1 sheet of ready rolled shortcrust pastry
1 egg
Olive oil
Salt & pepper
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Peel the butternut squash and red onion then roughly chop into large pieces. Put into a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Tip into a non-stick baking tray.
Remove the skin of the chorizo and roughly chop. Put into a food processor and pulse into a crumb. Add to the baking tray. Add the cumin, paprika and sage and mix well to combine. Then coat the ingredients in olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Roast for 30mins, giving the mixture a good stir halfway through. After 30mins, drizzle over the honey and mix well to coat evenly. Cook for a further 5mins.
Remove the tray from the oven and leave the mixture to cool completely.
Preheat the oven to 210°C.
Once cool, remove the pasty from the fridge. Allow the pastry to come to room temperature for around 10-15mins before using. Using a 9cm pastry cutter or similar sized glass, cut 8 discs from the pastry. Brush water around the edge of the disc to help create a seal. Holding the disc in one hand, fold the pastry over into a semi circle, sealing a third of the edge together to create a pocket for the filling. Spoon in a heaped teaspoon of the cooled filling, then seal the remaining two thirds of the edge. Then, using a fork press down on the sealing to leave a crimped pattern around the edge. Repeat the process for the remaining 7 pastries. Brush with the beaten egg and bake for 15-20mins, or until golden brown.
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