spinach and ricotta parcels

Evie and I didn't make pizzas the other day, instead she helped me make spinach and ricotta parcels. She loves painting so I asked for assistance in brushing melted butter over the paper thin filo pastry and what with the pastry being paper thin and Evie being typically eager and a little heavy handed, we had quite a few splits and cracks to patch up adding to their rustic charm.

Spinach and Ricotta Parcels

• 1 bag spinach


• 1 tub ricotta


• 1 onion, finely chopped


• 2 sticks celery, finely chopped


• handful black olives, sliced


• handful roasted pine-nuts


• grated nutmeg


• salt & pepper


• butter - lots


• 1 pack of filo pastry


• sesame seeds

1. Put a large pan of water on heat and bring to boil. Preheat oven to 180 ºc


2. Melt butter and fry both onions and celery until soft but not brown, then tip into a bowl to cool.


3. When water is boiling, add spinach until just wilted - about 20 seconds - and tip into a colander running cold water over it until it is no longer warm.


4. When onions and celery are cold, tip in the ricotta, 1/2 a grated nutmeg, chopped olives, pine-nuts  and plenty of seasoning.


5. Squeeze as much water out of the spinach as possible,  roughly chop then add to ricotta mixture.


6. Unpack the pastry and lay it flat on a table and cut it in half length ways.


7. Cover one of the lengths with cling film to stop it drying out while you are working with other half pile of pastry.


8. Paint a strip of filo with butter, set aside then layer them on top of each other. (You can use one sheet, but I think 2 layers is better).


9. Put a dessert spoon of ricotta mixture into the top corner of the pasty strip, then fold down in to a triangle shape until all the pastry has been wrapped.


10. Cover with more butter and sprinkle with sesame seeds.


11. Place on baking tray. When tray is full, bake for approx 15 mins.