Spanakopita Spiral

This festive spiral makes an excellent option for vegetarians at Christmas. Studded with sun-dried tomatoes and black olives, it’s colourful, as well as flavoursome.

Prep:
30 mins + chilling time
Cook:
50 mins
Serves:
4-6

Ingredients

500g spinach with stems, washed

2 Tbsp olive oil, plus extra for brushing the filo (or use a spray olive oil instead)

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

250g ricotta

2 eggs, beaten

125g feta, crumbled

2 spring onions, finely chopped

1 good handful dill, chervil, mint, or parsley, finely chopped

2 tsp dried dill tips

½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg

4 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

12 pitted black olives, chopped

Grated zest of 1 lemon

1 packet Timos filo pastry

2 tsp sesame seeds

1 tsp poppy seeds

Sumac, for sprinkling

Method

Blanch the spinach in boiling salted water. Drain well and set aside to cool. Squeeze any excess moisture from the mix, so it’s as dry as possible, then finely chop.

In the same pan, add the oil and fry the onion until soft. Add the garlic and chopped spinach and cook for a minute. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the ricotta, eggs, and feta. Combine with the spinach, spring onions, dill, nutmeg, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Place a sheet of filo pastry on a clean bench with the long side facing towards you. Brush the surface of the filo with oil, then repeat with a second layer. Spoon about ½ cup of the spinach ricotta mix across the filo, creating a line of filling about 4cm from the edge facing you. Roll the pastry up into a thin sausage shape and place it in either a large tart or cake tin lined with baking paper (this will help keep the spiral together) or on a baking paper-lined tray. Take care not to overfill or roll the inner pieces too tightly, as the filo will split.

Form the roll into a spiral from the middle. Repeat with the remaining filo and filling until all used up, joining each piece to the end of the last roll. Brush the whole thing with a little oil and sprinkle over the sesame and poppy seeds, and the sumac. Transfer to the fridge to chill for 30 minutes to help the mix set.

Preheat the oven to 200°C and bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden. Cut into wedges to serve.