Spinach, Herb, Rocotta & Fetta Filo Pastry Pie

A relatively easy recipe to prepare. I cheated and used pre-packaged frozen spinach... Can be eaten hot or cold and served with Tzatziki. To be honest with you I wasn't a big fan of it - maybe there was too much spinach for my liking and not enough cheese. Next time I'd probably cut down the spinach to 500g and increase the ricotta to 500g. But that is just my opinion. The biggest surprise though was that Lyndon actually really liked it. He normally doesn't like things like this...

*Taken from (you-guessed-it) Karen Martini's 'Where The Heart Is'*

Ingredients
150ml extra virgin olive oil
1 brown onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tbs capers, chopped
800-900g spinach (with stems), coarsely chopped
4 sprigs mint, leaves picked and torn
4 sprigs oregano, leaves picked and torn
4 sprigs flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and torn
2 eggs, lightly beaten
250g ricotta
120g fetta, crumbled
salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
12 large sheets filo pastry
2 tsp ground fennel seeds

Method

Heat 50ml of the olive oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add capers and half the spinach and cook for 4-5 minutes. Drain in a colander and press out excess liquid. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Add a little more oil to the pan and cook herbs and remaining spinach until wilted. Drain in a colander and press out excess liquid. Add to bowl. Stir eggs, ricotta and fetta into spinach mixture and mix well. Season.

Preheat oven to 165C.

Grease a round 20cm cake tin and line the base with baking paper. Keep the filo covered with a damp towel while working so it doesn't dry out. Place two pastry pastry sheets on a lightly floured surface and brush with olive oil. Repeat twice more. Place half the spinach mixture along the center of pastry and roll length ways. Place roll in a circle around the inside of the cake tin. Make another roll with remaining pastry and spinach mixture. Place in cake tin and wind around to completely cover the base of the tin. Brush with olive oil, scatter with fennel seeds, salt and pepper. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden. Cool before serving.

Serves 6