Recipe by www.bbc.co.uk

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A vegetarian take on a classic cottage pie. Beans and veggie mince replace meat, and root vegetables give the mash a unique twist.

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Ingredients

• 500 g floury potatoes (such as king edward or maris piper, peeled, cut into pieces)
• 300 g parsnips (or swede, peeled, cut into pieces)
• knob butter
• splash milk
• salt
• ground black pepper (freshly)
• 1 tbsp rapeseed oil (or groundnut)
• 1 onion (peeled, finely chopped)
• 1 garlic clove (peeled, crushed to a paste with the edge of a knife)
• 1 carrot (large, peeled, finely chopped)
• 1 leek (trimmed, thinly sliced)
• 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves (chopped)
• 300 g vegetarian mince (fresh or frozen)
• 400 g cannellini beans (can, drained and rinsed)
• 400 g chopped tomatoes (can)
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• sugar (to taste, optional)
• salt
• ground black pepper (freshly)
• green vegetables (steamed, to serve)

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Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190C/170C Fan/Gas 5.
2. To make the topping, place the potatoes and parsnips or swede into a large pan of water. Bring to the boil and cook for 12–15 minutes, or until tender. Drain well.
3. Add the butter and mash using a potato masher or ricer. Add the milk, a little at a time, and continue to mash until smooth. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside.
4. To make the filling, heat the oil in a large pan over a low to medium heat. Add the onion and fry for 10 minutes, or until softened. Add the garlic, carrot, leek and thyme and continue to fry for a further 5 minutes, or until softened. Add the vegetarian mince to the pan and fry for a further 3 minutes, stirring continuously, or until golden-brown.
5. Add the drained cannellini beans, chopped tomatoes and tomato purée and stir well to combine. Simmer for 5 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Taste and add a little sugar to the mixture if needed.
6. Spoon the filling into a large ovenproof dish. Spread the mashed potato and parsnip (or swede) mixture over the filling in a smooth, even layer.
7. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the topping is golden-brown and the filling is cooked through. Serve with steamed green vegetables.

View the recipe instructions at www.bbc.co.uk