Silverbeet and Pine Nut Pie

This pie is a take on the Greek spinach pie, spanakopita, but with an Italian twist.

Silverbeet doesn’t get the attention it deserves. It’s often in the shadows behind spinach or the very trendy kale. I use it a lot in my cooking, it’s very robust and doesn’t wilt down as much as spinach so it seems to go further. It also has a milder ‘green’ flavor than kale, which is good for fussy family members who turn their noses up at anything deemed ‘healthy’. It pairs really well with bacon, and I often just sauté it with a few chopped bacon rashers and garlic as a side dish.

This pie is filled with silverbeet, ricotta, feta and parmesan. Laced with toasted pine nuts and salty bacon, it is an incredibly tasty way to get in the goodness of those greens. It’s a great make ahead meal as it’s just as good at room temperature as it is straight out of the oven and keeps well in the fridge for a few days.

Use filo pastry from the refrigerated section at your supermarket or deli, rather than the frozen one, as it is much easier to work with and tends not to break.  Filo dries out very easy to keep what you’re not using under damp tea-towels.  Be very liberal when brushing with butter to ensure the pastry is completely coated.

I like the salty kick from the meaty bacon, but it can be omitted if you want to make this pie meat-free.

Silverbeet and Pine Nut Pie

An Italian take on a Greek classic. This silverbeet pie is packed with goodness and flavour.

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Servings: 6

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 1 bunch of silverbeet
• 4 bacon rashers, rindless, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely sliced
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 250 g ricotta, drained
• 185 g feta cheese
• 3 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
• 1 large handful fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
• finely grated rind of 1 lemon
• 70 g Parmesan cheese, finely grated
• 8 sheets Filo pastry
• 70 g butter, melted

Method

 

1. Wash the silverbeet and remove the stalks. Shred the leaves finely.
2. Heat a large non-stick frypan and add the silverbeet. Cook over medium heat until wilted and dry. Set aside to cool.
3. Splash a little olive oil into the same pan and cook the bacon until crisp. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
4. Combine the cooked silverbeet, bacon, egg, ricotta, feta, pine nuts, parsley, rind and 4 tbsp of the grated parmesan. Season with salt and pepper and mix well.
5. Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Grease a 23 cm (9 in) loose bottom tart tin.
6. Take one sheet of filo pastry and brush with melted butter. Place another sheet on top, turning on a diagonal, 180 degrees. Repeat until all the layers have been used. You will have four sheets on one angle and four on the other. Line the tart tin with the filo and allow excess to overhang.
7. Spoon the filling into the pastry and smooth the top. Fold in the excess pastry and sprinkle over the remaining parmesan.
8. Bake for 30 minutes, or until pastry is golden and filling is set. Remove, allow to cool a little before removing from the tart tin.

Recipe from my book – Food for Sharing  Italian Style, New Holland Publishers, Photo – Jonathan VDK