Kolokithopita - Greek Courgette Pie with Filo
Recipe for the most delicious Greek courgette pie with layers of crisp filo pastry.The springform tin measures approx. 23 cm in diameter.
Servings 4 people
Ingredients
- 1 roll fresh filo pastry - 7 large sheets
- 2 large courgettes, approx. 500 g
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, grated or crushed
- 1 handful dill, finely chopped
- 1 handful parsley, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh oregano, finely chopped - or 3/4 tsp dried
- 4 eggs
- 180 g feta
- 100 ml Greek yogurt - I use 10% fat
- Salt and pepper
- Optional: 1 tbsp finely chopped mint
- Olive oil
Instructions
- Coarsely grate the courgettes, season with a little salt and leave to drain in a sieve for approx. 20 minutes.Once the courgette has drained, squeeze out as much liquid as possible - ideally through a clean tea towel. *This step is very important to make sure the pie does not end up soggy.
- Whisk the eggs together in a bowl, then stir in the Greek yogurt, onion, garlic, fresh herbs, crumbled feta and courgette. Season with plenty of freshly ground pepper and a little extra salt. Remember that the courgette is already salted, and that feta is salty too.
- Line the base of a springform tin with baking parchment, and oil both the sides and the base.I recommend a springform tin between 20-24 cm in diameter.
- Brush the top of each filo sheet with oil, but do it one sheet at a time as you build up the pie. It is easiest to do with your hands, but you can also use a pastry brush - or alternatively an oil/baking spray.
- Lay the first filo sheet in the springform tin and press it into the sides, letting the rest hang over the edges (they will be gathered over the pie at the end). Don't worry if the pastry tears a little here and there - there are 6 more layers to come.
- Continue until all the sheets have been used, and remember to oil the top of each sheet before laying the next one on top of the previous layer in the tin. *Rotate the sheets a little with each layer. The sheets are usually rectangular, so by turning them slightly between layers you make sure they reach all the way across the pie when it is closed up.*See the photo below the recipe — it shows what the tin looks like once all the sheets are in place.
- Pour the filling into the tin, smooth it out with a spoon, and fold all the sides in over the filling.
- Brush or spray the surface with oil, and bake the pie in a preheated conventional oven (top and bottom heat) at 170°C for approx. 45 minutes. Always keep an eye on it along the way. Your oven may give more heat from the top, in which case the pie needs to go lower down in the oven.I put the pie on a rack in the middle of the oven, but if you find it is already quite a dark golden brown after 30 minutes, you can move the rack lower down.
- Let the pie rest for approx. 10 minutes before opening the springform tin.
- Serve the pie either on the base of the springform tin, or slide the baking parchment onto a plate. I would not recommend trying to remove the pie from the parchment - filo pastry is naturally very fragile.
- Sprinkle with finely chopped parsley before serving, and cut the pie with a bread knife.