Anchovy, Squash and Bean Gratin

I adore beans. If my kitchen walls could talk, they would tell you that I eat several jars a week. One of my current favourite ways to eat them is to treat them like they are the pasta - in this instance, baked in a creamy sauce and topped with cheese. Salty anchovies are the perfect thing here to cut through sweet squash.

Serves 4

1/2 butternut squash

1/2 onion

6 anchovies

2 garlic cloves

handful of fresh rosemary leaves

1/2 tsp chilli flakes

1 tsp tomato puree

100g mascarpone

1 jar of posh jar or butter beans

50g parmesan

75g mozzarella

handful of basil leaves

salt, pepper and olive oil

1. Heat your oven to 210°C.

2. Peel your squash and remove the seeds, then cut into chunks. Add them to a roasting tray with 1 tbsp olive oil and some salt, then roast for 40 minutes until caramelised.

3. Meanwhile, peel and slice your onion and garlic. Finely chop your rosemary. Add 2 tbsp olive oil to a saute pan, then add your onion and cook for 15 minutes until soft. Add your anchovies, rosemary, garlic, and chilli flakes to the pan and cook for another 2 minutes, squashing down the anchovies with your spoon. Add your tomato puree and cook a minute longer.

4. Add your squash to the pan and mash it down with your spoon. Add your mascarpone and stir until melted.

5. Heat your grill to high.

6. Tip your beans into the pan along with their juices, then simmer for 3 minutes. Add 40g grated parmesan, then season to taste with salt and pepper.

7. Pour your beans into a heatproof dish, then top with your mozzarella and grate over your remaining parmesan. Grill for 5 minutes until bubbly.

8. Top with basil, then serve it up with some crusty bread.