Ingredients
- Large glug of olive oil
- 1 large red onion, diced
- 1/2 bunch spring onions, shredded
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 green capsicum, seeded and finely diced
- 1 large bunch spinach, rinsed and chopped
- large handful fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 125g labneh at room temp
- 1 cup cheese curd, crumbled
- 6-8 generous grates of whole nutmeg
- 8 sheets filo pastry
- olive oil for brushing
Spanakopita
Method
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees c
- Line a flat baking sheet with greaseproof paper
- Heat a couple of glugs of olive oil in a large frypan over medium heat
- Sauté the red onion, spring onions and garlic, until soft and translucent
- Your patience here will be rewarded
- Stir in spinach and parsley then continue to sauté until softened; about 2 minutes
- Remove from heat and set aside to cool in a colander, to drain any excess liquid
- In a medium bowl, mix together eggs, labneh and cheese curd and stir in spinach mixture
- Lay down a sheet of filo, brush with oil, lay a second sheet on top
- Near one end place two rounded serving spoons of mix and shape into rough log shape
- Tuck in the sides of the pastry and roll up
- Brush with oil and scatter with nigella seeds
- Bake until golden and the pastry brittle
- Allow to cool before serving as the filling gets extremely hot
- To preserve the integrity of the filo pastry reheat in a moderate oven, not a microwave
Comments
Traditionally assembled in a shallow baking pan, this Greek dish can be formed into triangular parcels or rolls, making for neat individual serves, ideal for ‘heat and eat’ stand-by meals or busy mid-week lunches.
I’m using a mixture of cheese curds and labneh available at the market in place of feta and ricotta, but run with whatever you prefer. Much of the flavour comes from taking the time to sweat the onion and garlic. Freshly grated nutmeg, over powdered, takes it up another notch.
