Spinach Pastilla Pie

By Thomasina Miers "I love this pie.  It is incredibly easy to make, but extremely yummy.  Serve with rice or a green salad."6 sheets filo pastry50g currants50g raisins1.2 kg of...

Spinach Pastilla Pie

By Thomasina Miers

"I love this pie.  It is incredibly easy to make, but extremely yummy.  Serve with rice or a green salad."

6 sheets filo pastry
50g currants
50g raisins
1.2 kg of spinach
A good pinch ground Allspice
1 small red onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, crushed
3 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp pine nuts
100g Parmesan
2 lightly beaten eggs
75g Feta, crumbled
Zest of a lemon
70g melted butter
A good flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Pre-heat oven to 180°C

2. Cover the currants and raisins in boiling water and if you have a little rum put in a splash!  Brown the pine nuts in the oven until golden brown.  Wash the spinach and remove any large stalks.  Cook in a large pan, big enough to fit the spinach, sprinkled with 3 tbsp water and seasoning generously with salt, pepper and allspice.  You can do this in two batches.   The spinach cooks down to a third of its volume in less than five minutes.  When the spinach is cooked squeeze it through a sieve to get rid of excess water.  Roughly chop.

3. In a pan, heat the oil and soften the onion and garlic, seasoning with salt and pepper.   Add the drained spinach and heat through to evaporate any excess liquid.   Drain the currants and raisins and add to the spinach along with the pine nuts.  Add the parmesan, feta, eggs and lemon zest and allow it to cool.

4. Grease a frying pan with an oven-proof handle or a shallow round baking dish (about 20 -25cm wide) with melted butter.  Lay five sheets of filo pastry in the dish at angles, brushing them with butter as you go, making sure that some of the sheets hang over the sides of the pan.  Now fill the pastry with the spinach mixture.

5. Place the last piece of filo on top of the filling and fold the overhanging pieces of pastry over the filling.  Brush again with the melted butter and bake for 15-20mins or until the pastry is golden.   If you like, transfer to the hob and heat for a few minutes to ensure that the bottom is crisp.

6. Either serve from the pan or slide out on to a large plate, dusted lightly with cinnamon.  This is very good with a mixed leaf salad.

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