Rustic Pie

Method

Peel and finely dice the onion, then finely dice the carrot and celery.

Warm the olive oil in a deep sided casserole over a low to moderate heat, then add the vegetables and cook for about 15 minutes until the onion is translucent. Don’t let them brown.

Peel and thinly slice the garlic, then stir into the softening aromatics.

Finely chop the thyme and rosemary leaves and with the bay leaves add to the pan.

Cut the mushrooms into quarters and add, cook for 5 minutes.

Stir in the cannellini beans with the can water and the vegetable stock and bring to the boil.

Season with plenty of salt and black pepper then lower the heat and leave to simmer for a good 20-25 minutes.

If there seems too much liquid (you should have good thick sauce rather than soup) turn up the heat and let it reduce until it thickens.

Wash and roughly chop the cavolo nero or spinach leaves.

Put them and a couple of tablespoons of water into a pan with a tightly fitting lid, then leave over a high heat for a couple of minutes, until the leaves have brightened and relaxed.

Drain them, then stir into the sauce and set aside.

Peel the sweet potatoes, cut them into large pieces and cook them in a steamer basket or colander over boiling water for about 15-20 minutes until soft enough to crush.

Remove and cut them into thick slices (about 1cm thick).

Set the oven at 200C/gas. Transfer the bean filling to a baking dish, ideally a 22cm casserole dish, but a roasting tin will work.

Place the slices of sweet potato on top of the stew, then brush with olive oil and season with a little black pepper.

Bake for 30 minutes to an hour, until the edges are bubbling.