Feta and Spinach Filo Pie

Filo or Phyllo?

I buy it as “Spring Roll Pastry” here in Germany, so I don’t know which spelling is more popular!

This is rather delicious, and full of good greens! Use fresh young spinach if you can find some!

• 1 onion, chopped
• olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 500g frozen spinach or fresh, washed and chopped
• grated nutmeg and black pepper
• 200g feta, crumbled
• 2 eggs
• 12 sheets of filo pastry 10″ x 10″/25 x 25cm
• Handful of pine nuts

Sauté the onion until soft, then add the garlic. If using fresh spinach add it to the pan and let it wilt, then remove from the heat. With frozen spinach, defrost it first, then add and cook through. Allow the mixture to cool a little. Season, stir in beaten egg and crumbled feta. Preheat oven to 200°C.

Lightly oil a deep pie dish (I use a pastry brush), and place one sheet of pastry in it. Brush the pastry lightly with oil and add another. They should slightly overlap each other and the dish too. Repeat with another five sheets (7 altogether). Now add half the spinach mixture. Layer another four sheets, brushing each with oil again, and add rest of spinach mixture. Sprinkle with a few pine nuts and place last filo sheet over the top. Now fold in the overlapping bits over the top of the pie. It can be as messy looking as you like! Sprinkle last pine nuts on top and bake for about 25 minutes, until golden brown and sizzling!

It serves 2-4 people, depending on whether you serve it alone or not. It’s good with salad, bread or new potatoes.