Sluttishly Vegan: Squash Mushroom & Chick Pea Roast

There's something about winter that makes me crave comforting, starchy squash. It is a fiddle to peel though, which is why I love this simple recipe as you don't even need to bother. Just chop a few things up, bung them in the oven and go off on a bracing wintry walk while it roasts away. Perfect!

I serve this with wholegrain rice, or a big chunk of granary bread to mop up the sauce.

Autumnal Squash, Mushroom & Chick Pea Roast (serves 4)

You'll need:

• 1 butternut or acorn squash
• 1 red onion
• Olive oil
• 1 punnet of chestnut mushrooms
• 1 can of chickpeas
• 1 small jar of tomato sauce, I used Sacla stir-through pasta sauce because I happened to have some in the cupboard, but if you're feeling nifty you can make your own

Make it!

• Pre-heat the oven to 200c / Gas 6.
• Cut the squash in half and scoop out all the seeds and stringy bits with a spoon, discard the seeds. Cut into wedges - leave the skin on as it helps the wedges keep their shape and it's easy to scoop the flesh out at the table once it's cooked (you can even eat the skin if you fancy it).
• Remove the skin and root from the onion and cut into wedges.
• Put the squash and onion into a roasting tin, drizzle with oil and season with plenty of salt and pepper. Toss it around so it's covered in oil.
• Roast for 45 minutes until nice and tender. The squash and onion should be nice and caramelised.
• Clean the mushrooms and quarter them. Drain the chickpeas.
• Add the chickpeas and mushrooms to the tin with the squash and onion. Shake it around and drizzle a bit more olive oil over if necessary. Roast for 10 more minutes.
• Warm the tomato sauce in a pan, then stir through the vegetables.