This delicious big pan of goodness is based on a classic Greek spanakopita. I’ve freshened it up with zesty lemons, pungent herbs and plenty of black pepper.
Last night we had a hankering for comfort food but with weeks of ills and chills we felt like copious amounts of greens also. This really hit the spot. It makes a generous pie but lasted the whole weekend – 3 meals in all, so would be a great one to make on a Sunday to get a head start for the week.
Feel free to use any greens like silverbeet, kale, or parsley but you’ll just need a few good bunches.
Olive oil
1 brown onion, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
200g wild rocket
800g spinach
2 cups fresh herbs (I used oregano and basil)
1 teaspoon sea salt
4 free range eggs, lightly whisked
400g feta, crumbled
300g ricotta cheese
1 cup grated cheese
Freshly ground black pepper
Zest and juice of 1 large lemon (or 2 small)
10 sheets filo pastry
50g melted butter
Preheat oven to 200 C and line a 25cm skillet or round tin.
Add a good glug of olive oil to a non-stick large pan with a lid or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until soft, then add garlic and cook another minute or so. Add the all greens and herbs, plus half the salt. Put the lid on and cook until greens have wilted, about 5 minutes. Drain of any liquid and allow to cool slightly.
In a bowl stir together eggs, cheeses, remaining salt, plenty of black pepper and lemon zest and juice. Combine with wilted greens and mix.
Drape three pieces of filo pastry over the skillet or pie dish, letting them fall over the edges. Brush with melted butter and lay the additional three pieces across to the first three, with all six pieces overlapping in the centre.
Pour in the greens and egg mixture. Fold edges of dough over the filling, partially enclosing, but crumple them for added texture. Crumple the remaining four pieces on top leaving the centre exposed. Brush the top with the remaining butter.
Bake for 45 minutes, until filo is golden brown and filling is puffy. Serve warm or at room temperature with tangy tomato chutney
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