Pesto Cottage Pie
Okay, this one is properly special. We took the ultimate British comfort food and gave it a plant-based twist that honestly blew us away the first time we made it. A rich, herby lentil filling packed with flavour, topped with creamy mashed potato swirled through with fresh pesto. It's warming, it's hearty, and it tastes like a hug on a plate. Make this on a cold evening and we promise you won't miss the meat one bit.
Before You Start
- Food processor
- Potato masher
- Baking dish
- Toast pine nuts in frying pan first
Ingredients
- 2 onions
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 700g Passata
- 2 250g pouches pre-cooked puy lentils
- 1 vegetable stock cube
- 1 tbsp tomato ketchup
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- Salt and pepper
- 70g pine nuts
- 60g basil leaves
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 tbsp Nooch
- ½ lemon
- 150ml light olive oil
- 1kg potatoes
- salt
- handful of pine nuts
Method
Make the filling
- Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic
- Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook for 7-8 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes until aromatic. Add the passata, lentils, stock cube and 200ml boiling water. Stir well and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a medium simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes. Add the tomato ketchup and soy sauce. Taste and add more if you’d like
Meanwhile make the pesto
- Toast the pine nuts in a small frying pan over a medium heat until golden
- Put the basil leaves in a food processor along with the toasted pine nuts and blitz to a paste. Peel the garlic cloves and grate them into the food processor, add the nooch and juice from a lemon and pulse again. Remove the blade from the processor and stir in enough of the oil to bind. Taste and season with salt
Prepare the mash
- Peel and chop the potatoes into 3cm chunks. Add them to a pan of boiling water and simmer, covered, for 8-10 minutes, or until tender
- Drain the potatoes and tip them back into the pan. Mash with the pesto until smooth. Taste and season with salt if necessary
Assemble the pie
- Preheat the grill
- Spoon the filling into a baking dish and spread the pesto mash on top. Run a fork over the top of the pie to create a textured pattern
- Place the pie under the grill for 6-8 minutes, or until the mash has browned in place
Time to serve
- Serve in the center of the table and dig in!
Tips & Variations
- Make the mash extra creamy: We find adding a good splash of plant-based milk and a knob of vegan butter while mashing makes all the difference. Don't skimp on this bit.
- Boost the filling: Henry always adds a handful of frozen peas or some wilted spinach stirred through the lentil filling just before topping. Adds a bit of colour and sneaks in some extra greens.
- Go big on the pesto: Ian discovered that being generous with the pesto in the mash is the move. A couple of tablespoons is good, three is better. Don't be shy.
Why This Works
The trick here is the pesto in the mash. It sounds simple but it completely transforms what could be a plain topping into something vibrant and full of flavour. The lentils do a brilliant job of giving the filling that satisfying, meaty texture, and the soy sauce and ketchup add a depth that keeps you going back for another spoonful. Trust us on this one.