Pumpkin Everyday – Pumpkin & Feta in Filo

This is Number 7 in my series of posts called Pumpkin Everyday which makes me happy as now the title has more meaning – now by using this blog alone you can eat a different pumpkin dish every day of the week.  Why you would want to do that is less clear but still you could and that has got to be something….right???.. Anyway –

I was going to call this dish Pumpkikopita but then I realised that sounded absolutely ridiculous.  This is basically a pumpkin version of Spanakopita which I also make by replacing the pumpkin with silver beet (or spinach).  This recipe can also be used as a filling for ravioli although then I only use 1 egg and replace the feta with 100g of parmesan.

Pumpkin & Feta in Filo

• 450g pumpkin cut into 1cm dice
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic crushed
• 200g ricotta
• 200g feta cheese crumbled
• 2 eggs
• Black pepper
• Melted butter (about 50g)
• 20 sheets filo pastry

Heat the oven to 190 degrees.  Roast the pumpkin in the oven until soft.  Allow it to cool and then mash.  Meanwhile fry the onion until soft, add garlic and cook for another couple of minutes.  Allow to cool.  When pumpkin and onion/garlic are fairly cool mix them with the egg and cheeses.  Season with pepper (you probably wont need salt as the cheese is fairly salty).  Grease a 20cm square dish or equivalent volume rectangle.  Lay two sheets of filo into dish, brush with melted butter, lay two more sheets and brush with butter, repeat until you have used 10 sheets.  Spoon in the pumpkin mixture.  Top with two sheets of filo pastry.  Brush with melted butter.  Add two more sheets, brush with butter and so on until all the filo has been used.  Bake in a 190 degree oven for about 45 minutes.

Serve with a green salad.