Spanakopita

Author: Sarah Swain - Food writer, stylist and recipe creator

Photographer: Devin Hart

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Spanakopita is a Greek spinach pie typically containing cheese such as feta and/or ricotta. Our version is low in calories while high in fibre, iron and calcium. It's also diabetes-friendly and suitable for vegetarians. Serve it up at your next dinner party because it feeds eight people, or keep leftovers in the fridge to have for lunch.

Serves: 8

Time to make: 1 hr 35 mins

Hands-on time: 1 hr

Ingredients

More weights & measures

Spanakopita
450g spinach leaves, chopped
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons oil, plus spray oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
4 spring onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 ⅓ cups reduced-fat ricotta, or cottage cheese, puréed
⅔ cup grated parmesan
¼ cup low-fat yoghurt
1 egg, beaten
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup chopped fresh dill
¼ cup chopped mint leaves
6 sheets of filo pastry (chilled)
75g feta, diced
Cucumber yoghurt
1 cucumber, cut lengthways, deseeded
pinch of salt
2 ⅓ cups reduced-fat Greek yoghurt (or low-fat plain yoghurt)
juice of ½ lemon
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons olive oil
⅓ cup chopped fresh mint leaves
To serve
2 cups mixed coloured cherry tomatoes, halved
800g new potatoes, boiled
fresh mint leaves
6 cups rocketarugulaX leaves

Instructions

1 To begin Cucumber yoghurt, grate cucumber and place in a sieve. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Leave for 45 minutes to drain.

2 To make Spanakopita, place half the spinach in a large microwave-proof dish with water. Cook on high for 1 minute until just wilted. Drain off any water. Repeat with the second batch of spinach. Cool, then roughly chop.

3 Preheat oven to 190°C. Heat half the oil in a large non-stick pan. Add shallot, spring onions and garlic and cook until softened and starting to brown. Add spinach and stir for 2—3 minutes. Leave to cool.

4 Mix the ricotta, parmesan, yoghurt and egg together. Season with nutmeg and pepper and stir in herbs. Mix in spinach.

5 Grease a deep 22cm-round, clip-sided tin with oil. Take 2 sheets of filo and lower into the pan, letting pastry overhang the sides. Spray with oil. Add another two sheets, spraying with oil and laying the opposite way.

6 Add ricotta and spinach mix to the pastry case. Top with feta.

7 Cut remaining pastry sheets in half and use to cover filling, scrunching the pastry as you go and bringing in the overlapping edges. Spray with oil.

8 Bake for 35 minutes, or until golden and firm to touch. Leave in the tin for 10 minutes, before unclipping the sides.

9 Mix drained cucumber with other yoghurt ingredients. Serve the pie with salad vegetables and Cucumber yoghurt.

HFG tip

This pie is just as delicious, and slices better, served cold the next day. Serve with a crunchy coleslaw.

Nutrition Info (per serve)

Calories 380cal

Kilojoules 1590kJ

Protein 22g

Total fat 18g

–Saturated fat 6g

Carbohydrates 30g

–Sugars 8g

Dietary fibre 6g

Sodium 510mg

Calcium 530mg

Iron 4.5mg

Note: This nutrition analysis is a guide only. Nutrition composition will vary depending on the exact ingredients used. See our guides on your optimal daily nutrition intake, and supermarket shopping.

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