Spanakopita

This filling, given here for a family-sized pie, can be used just as well to make tiny filo triangles to serve as quick savouries. When handling filo pastry, cover the unused sheets with a sheet of foil and then cover this with a damp tea towel to stop the pastry from drying out.

ingredients

• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 spring onions, very finely chopped
• 1 large bunch spinach, stemmed, washed, dried and finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons freshly chopped mint
• 2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley
• freshly grated nutmeg
• 2 eggs
• 125 g fetta cheese, crumbled
• 125 g ricotta
• 60 g freshly grated kasseri, romana or pecorino cheese
• freshly ground black pepper
• 120 g unsalted butter, melted
• 10 sheets filo pastry

method

Preheat oven to 180°C.

Sauté onion in oil until softened. Add spring onion, spinach, herbs, and nutmeg and cook, stirring, until spinach is soft and there is no liquid in the pan.

Tip into a colander resting over a plate and allow to cool.

Beat eggs in a large bowl, then add cheeses and cooled spinach mixture. Adjust seasoning with pepper.

Select a rectangular metal baking dish 28 cm x 18 cm x, 8 cm. It should be a bit smaller than half a sheet of filo.

Brush dish with a little melted butter. Cut pastry sheets in half and, brushing each sheet with melted butter, settle 10 pastry layers in the dish, pressing it up sides.

Spoon in spinach mixture. Settle a further 10 buttered pastry sheets over spinach, tucking any overlap down sides.

Score top of pie into squares, but do not cut through the bottom.

Bake for about 40 minutes until golden brown.

Serve warm or cold.