How To Make Filo Pastry Pie

This is yet another one of those recipes that impresses your friends and in no way reflects the complete lack of effort involved. (In other words, the best kind.) This pie should ideally be made in one large spring-release cake tin; it’s quite delicate and you don’t want it collapsing completely when you take it out. However, even though I am actually the proud owner of two spring-release cake tins (also several loose-bottomed ones) I nearly always make two smaller pies in the same standard-size sandwich tins I’d normally use for baking sponge cakes. To get the pies out of the tins I either put a plate over the top of each one, turning it out upside down then putting a plate over it again and turning it the right way up, or – if I think I can get away with it – quickly tipping the pie straight out onto the palm of my hand, then onto the plate.

1. Step 1:

   Warm some olive oil in a saucepan while you cut the courgettes into thin slices, halving or quartering the slices according to how you want them to be.

2. Step 2:

   Put the cumin seeds in the pan and fry for a minute before adding the courgettes, cook for a few more minutes until the courgettes have softened then add some coriander and stir in the pesto.

3. Step 3:

   Take the pan off the heat and leave the courgettes to cool a little while you wash and tear up the spinach leaves and finely slice the tomatoes.

4. Step 4:

   Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 6 (200°C) and melt about 1 oz (25 g) of butter in the microwave. Brush the cake tin or tins and arrange 5–6 sheets of pastry at the bottom, brushing each one with butter and overlapping them, leaving the excess hanging over the edge of the tin all the way round.

5. Step 5:

   Put the courgettes in first, followed by a layer of spinach; sprinkle with nutmeg then add a layer of sliced tomatoes seasoned with salt and pepper.

6. Step 6:

   Crumble the cheese (however much feels right to you) over the tomatoes then fold the overhanging pastry layers across the top, again brushing each sheet with the melted butter as you go.

7. Step 7:

   If you want more pastry on the top, break up another couple of sheets and crumple them up on top of the pie, or pies, brush with the remaining butter, and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes until the pastry is crisp and golden.

8. Step 8:

   Serve with salad or salad and rice.