Hasselback al forno | Daily Mail Online

Root veg galore, wilted spinach, lentils & yoghurt ripple 

SERVES 4

1 HOUR 50 MINUTES

1 large parsnip

½ a butternut squash (600g)

1 onion

2 beetroots

4 carrots

4 potatoes

2 cloves of garlic

½ a bunch of fresh thyme (15g)

olive oil

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

100ml Chianti red wine

2 x 400g tins of green lentils

100g baby spinach

4 tablespoons natural yoghurt

• Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas 6. Scrub or peel all the veg: quarter the parsnip, squash and onion and halve the beetroots (try to choose medium-sized carrots and potatoes, but use your common sense and slice any larger ones in half). One at a time, place the veg on a board between the handles of two wooden spoons, so that when you slice down into them the spoons stop the blade from going all the way through. Carefully slice at just under 5mm intervals all the way along, putting the veg into a large roasting tray as you go.
• Peel the garlic and place in a pestle and mortar, strip in the thyme leaves, then bash to a paste and muddle in 6 tablespoons of oil, the vinegar, plus a pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Toss well with the veg, then roast for 1 hour, or until golden and caramelized, turning halfway. Remove all the veg to a board and place the tray over a medium heat on the hob. Pour in the wine and leave to bubble and cook away, scraping up all the sticky caramelized bits from the bottom of the tray. Tip in the lentils (juices and all) and spinach, then stir until the juices have thickened and the leaves have wilted. Season to taste with salt and pepper, ripple through the yoghurt, then present to the table with the board of veg.
• Delicious served with the rest of the bottle of red wine.

Swapping out the lentils for borlotti, butter or cannellini beans, or even chickpeas, can be super-delicious – give it a try!

NUTRITION PER SERVING

584 kcal; 22.6g fat (4g saturated); 16.8g protein; 78g carbs; 23.1g sugars; 0.8g salt; 18g fibre