Roasted squash, apple, bacon and walnut tart

Ingredients

For the pastry:

• 400g plain flour
• 100g walnuts, toasted and crushed (keep a handful to sprinkle on top)
• Pinch of salt 200g cold butter, cut into small chunks
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1-2 tbsp of water

For the filling:

• Half a butternut squash or pumpkin (approx. 350g)
• 2 tbsp of rapeseed oil
• 1 tsp of chilli flakes
• 3 leeks, washed and finely chopped
• 12 rashers of smoked streaky bacon, chopped
• 1 eating apple, cored and cut into thin wedges
• 3 eggs
• 150ml crème fraiche
• 150ml double cream
• 200g strong grated cheese (gruyere and mature cheddar do the trick!) 

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
2. For the pastry, whizz the walnuts in a food processor, or crush in a large mixing bowl with the end of a rolling pin.
3. Rub or whizz the butter into the flour, salt and walnuts.
4. Add the butter and rub into the dry ingredients with your fingertips.
5. When it resembles fine breadcrumbs, use a knife to add the beaten egg and water, a little at a time, until it comes together as a soft dough.
6. Knead a little with your hands, then press into a flat disc. Wrap the pastry in cling film and pop into the fridge whilst you get the filling ready (or prepare in advance and leave in the fridge).
7. Roll out the pastry and then press into a tart tin.
8. Blind bake: either pop the pastry case into the freezer for a couple of hours (this means you don’t have to line with baking paper and baking beans), or line with baking paper and fill with baking beans.
9. Bake at 200 degrees for about 20 minutes or until pale golden.
10. Stand the baked pastry case (still in its tin) on a low sided baking tray.
11. For the filling, put the eggs, crème fraiche and double cream into a jug and mix with a fork, season well with salt and pepper.
12. Peel and chop the pumpkin or butternut squash, pop into a roasting tin with a couple of tablespoons of rapeseed oil and the chilli flakes. Put into the oven and roast at 180 degrees for about half an hour. Add the apple wedges and roast for a further 10 minutes.
13. Finely chop the leeks and pop into a frying pan with the rapeseed oil, cook until softened.
14. Put the leeks into a bowl to cool at room temperature.
15. Cook the bacon in the same frying pan.
16. Sprinkle the base of the pastry case with half of the grated cheese.
17. Pile on the leeks and the roasted squash or pumpkin and apple.
18. Toss over the bacon to ensure evenly distributed then pour over the cream mixture.
19. Sprinkle over the remaining cheese.
20. Bake in the oven for about 30-35 minutes or until set and golden on top