Maggie’s Spanakopita

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp OLIVE OIL
• 2 ONIONS, peeled, finely sliced
• 3 cloves GARLIC, peeled, finely chopped
• ½ tsp SALT and freshly GROUND BLACK PEPPER
• 200g FETA, crumbled
• 250g RICOTTA
• 50g PARMESAN , freshly grated
• 7 EGGS, lightly beaten
• 400g SPINACH LEAVES, roughly chopped
• 1 cup (40g) FRESH BASIL, roughly chopped
• 1 cup (40g) FRESH ITAL/AN PARSLEY, roughly chopped
• 120g BUTTER, melted
• 1 x 375g pocket FILO PASTRY

Method:

• Preheat oven to 180° C.
• Grease a 30cm fluted tart tin with melted butter.
• Place a frying pan over a medium heat and add the oil.
• When the oil is hot, add the onions and cook for a few minutes or until the onions are translucent.
• Add the garlic, salt and pepper and cook for a few seconds until fragrant.
• Remove from the heat and transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl.
• Set aside to cool slightly.
• Add the feta, ricotta, Parmesan and eggs.
• Whisk the mixture together until all the cheeses are well combined with the eggs.
• Stir through the spinach and fresh herbs

To Assemble the Pie:

• Lightly butter 4 sheets of filo and place them one on top of the other in a stack.
• Repeat this process 4 times, so that you end up with 5 stacks of buttered filo sheets.
• Place 4 of the stacks of filo into the tart tin, overlapping them so the base and sides are well covered with the filo.
• Note: leave some of the filo hanging over the sides of the pie tin.
• Pour the filling into the tin.
• Lightly scrunch up the last sheets of buttered filo and place it on top of the pie.
• Fold the overhanging edges into the middle of the pie.
• Brush the top liberally with butter.
• Place the pie on the lowest shelf in the oven and bake for 40- 50 minutes or until the filling is set.
• Note: if the filo is browning too quickly, loosely cover the top of the pie with foil.
• Once the pie is cooked leave it in the tin to cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting.