"Spanakopita" Pie with Goat's Cheese and Mascarpone
A super rich and totally delicious version of spanakopita that has only seven ingredients!
Okay I probably should't really call this spanakopita. I'm sure that using puff pastry instead of filo would horrify most Greek people. Plus I don't use eggs or feta. And mascarpone??? Totally not Greek, but look, I am going to call in Spanakopita anyway!
I have made many a tradition al spanakopita in my life time. Growing up with a big veggie garden we always had more silverbeet than we knew what to do with. Mum made an amazing version and taught me her secrets. But do you know what? I have come to realise I don't really like filo pastry! It goes soggy so easily, is a bit of a pain to prepare and well, I just don't like it.
But I love the filling of spanakopita. I know a lot of my food is vegan, but I really do love cheese. And what is spanakopita but an ode to cheese? So I decided to make a version that suited my tastes.
First up I wanted to use less pastry as I wanted the filling to be the hero, not the pastry. I like pastry, but not so much that I think it should dominate a dish. Whenever I eat something like a pie, I usually leave half of the pastry on my plate and just eat the filling. Pastry is so often too thick and undercooked and I can't handle it!
So I opted for puff pastry as it works really well as a base and means I could get away with just one layer of pastry. Another plus is that it makes this really easy to make gluten free, I am yet to find a gluten free filo, but it's pretty easy to find good gluten free puff pasty these days.
I tested the recipe using either egg or mascarpone as the binding agent.. And too my surprise the mascarpone version was a million times better. Like seriously delicious. Dare I say, I like it more than traditional spanakopita?! Sure, you could definitely argue mascarpone it's not as healthy as egg, but whatever, it taste so good! Everything in moderation I say. Maybe don't have it for lunch every day, but it makes a great easy dinner party dish that you can prepare in advance and just pop in the oven when your guests arrive
As it is so rich and cheesy, I suggest serving it with a fresh green salad. And having a nice little lie down afterwards....
Spanakopita Pie with Goat's Cheese and Mascarpone
Makes: 2 small pies of 1 large one* (enough for 4 people)
Time: 45 minutes prep plus an extra 20-30 minute cooking time.
Dietary guide: This recipe can be made gluten free by using gluten free puff pastry. To make it FODMAP friendly, in addition to using GF pastry, only use the green part of the spring onion. For a vegan version click on this link.
Ingredients
1-2 sheet of puff pastry*
Approximately 5-6 cups of chard/silverbeet/spinach/kale washed and roughly shopped
1 tablespoon of olive oil
2 tablespoon of chopped dill
2 tablespoon of chopped spring onion
½ a cup of mascarpone
180g of goats cheese marinated in oil (I recommend Meredith goat's cheese)
Pinch of nutmeg (optional)
*The instructions are for one large pie. If you want to make 2 smaller ones you will need 2 sheets of filo. Just do step 1 twice and make the circles smaller (about the size of a side plate).
Instructions
First prepare the pastry. Pre-heat the oven to 180 degree. Remove 1 sheet of puff pastry from the freezer and let it de-frost slightly. Don’t lit it sit out for too long otherwise it will become floppy and hard to work with,
Line a baking tray with baking paper and place the pastry sheet on top with the plastic sheet facing up. Remove the plastic. Find a large plate that just fits inside the perimeters of the pastry sheet. Place the plate face down on the pastry and run a sharpe knife around the edge to create a large circle. Remove the excess pastry from the corners. Find another plate that is a bit smaller than the circle you have juts made (about 2cm smaller). Place the plate evenly in the middle of the circle and cut another slightly smaller circle. You should now have one circle of pastry and a slightly larger ring of pastry. Gently remove the the ring of pastry and lay on top of the circle – as it is slightly bigger you will need to cut the ring a point and make it over lap a little. Brush the ring/boarder of pastry with a little milk (optional) and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes or until puffed up and golden (complete step 2 whilst it's cooking).. Remove the pastry from the oven and gently push down the pasty in the middle of the ring.boarder that had puffed up. Set aside until needed.
In a large fry pan over high heat fry the green until just wilted. You may need to do this in a couple of batches. Transfer to a mix bowl and add the mascapone, spring onion, dill, nutmeg and the goats cheese (reserve a little to crumble on top if you like. Mix well, season with pepper and salt if needed and pour out onto the pastry being careful to avoid the border. Crumble the reserved goats cheese over the top.
Bake in the oven for about 20-30 minutes or until the filling is hot. Serve hot or at room temperature.
