Spanakopita

This delicious, Greek-inspired spinach and feta pie makes for a great winter family meal.

Fussy Eating Tip: If the dill is too strong a flavour for the little ones, try decreasing the amount, swapping it for parsley or leaving it out altogether to better encourage acceptance. You can even try making little filo triangles with the filling for toddlers and preschoolers that may better encourage interaction with this delicious meal.

Nutrition Note: Choose to use extra virgin olive oil in between the layers of filo for healthy monounsaturated fatty acids, vitamin E and a boost of antioxidants.

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Ingredients

• 200g feta
• 100g ricotta
• 4 eggs
• 2-3 sprigs of dill, finely chopped
• 4 shallots, finely sliced
• 2 bunches of English spinach, trimmed, leaves washed, dried and roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp breadcrumbs
• 375g packet filo pastry
• 1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil or 100g unsalted butter

Method

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 180°C and lightly grease a 20cm x 30cm x 5cm baking dish. -

Step 2

Place the feta and ricotta in a large bowl and roughly mash with a fork. Whisk in the eggs, then add the dill, shallots, spinach and breadcrumbs. -

Step 3

Line the baking dish with a sheet of filo and brush it with the butter or oil. Top with another sheet of filo brushed with butter or oil and continue until about half the filo is used. Keep the filo sheets covered with a dry tea towel and then a damp tea towel to prevent them from drying out. -

Step 4

Spread the spinach mixture evenly over the filo. Layer with the remaining sheets of filo brushed with butter or oil, ensuring the final sheet is well buttered. Trim off the overhanging pastry and roll in at the sides. -

Step 5

Lightly score the pastry with a sharp knife into diamonds, piercing the pastry once or twice to allow air to escape during baking. -

Step 6

Sprinkle lightly with water and bake in the oven for 45-60 minutes or until well browned, covering with foil if it is over-browning. -

Step 7

Storage: leftover spanakopita can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days or prepared in advance and stored in the freezer for 2-3 months prior to baking. -