Bottom and top layer: puff pastry

Layer 2: Pesto

Layer 3: Risotto

Layer 4:
red, orange and yellow peppers (capsicum)
sliced mozzarela
basil leaves
thinly sliced aubergine and courgette

Marinade: best olive oil, balsamic vinegar, crushed or finely chopped garlic, chopped fresh chili peppers, ground black pepper.

Prepare each of the layers (except the pastry) a day early and store overnight in the fridge.

Layer 2: normal pesto recipe, store in fridge overnight

Layer 3: amend the risotto recipe - make it more buttery; onion and fresh herbs and parmesan cheese being the main additions to the rice - other vegetables will be in the top layer. Put in an oblong dish and press down, leave overnight.

Layer 4:
Cook the sliced aubergine and courgette in a dry frying pan or griddle until charred. put in a large flat dish to cool.
Grill the peppers until the skin is black and peels away easily. Skin the peppers, quarter them and remove stalk and seeds, and add to the bowl of vegetables to cool.
Combine the marinade ingredients and spread over the vegetables. Leave overnight.

NEXT DAY.
1. roll the pastry into two equal sizes one inch wider all round than the oblog risotto dish.
2. put one rolled piece onto a baking sheet
3. cut the other piece with diagonal lines, leaving one inch around the edge uncut.
4. paste a thin layer of pesto over the base layer
5. turn the risotto layer onto the pastry and press into a neat shape if it doesn't turn out whole
6. place layers of peppers, aubergines and courgettes, basil leaves and mozzarella onto the rice layer.
7. carefully lift the top pastry layer onto the top. press firmly around the edge.
8. Bake in a hot oven according to the pastry instructions.

To prepare properly, for a special occasion (perfect at Christmas), it takes a long time to prepare. Corners can be cut if short of time: use ready-made pesto (always inferior, but it is not a key ingredient in this dish); thinly slice the peppers and dry-fry with the other ingredients instead of skinning and quartering them. And you don't have to leave overnight.