Filo Parcel with Goats Cheese, Roasted Butternut Squash and Spinach

This Filo Pastry Parcel takes a bit of time due to the roasting and cooling of the squash before you can assemble and bake the pastry. But don’t let that put you off. It’s so easy, there really isn’t a lot of work to do, and it looks fantastic in the centre of the table.

Occasionally my husband and I will buy some pizza dough and put our own toppings on. I’m pescatarian, and he’s a carnivore, so we can never agree on toppings. (Apart from a tuna and red onion pizza we bought from a street vendor in Munich at about 2am one night whilst on holiday. We both agree that was the nicest pizza we have ever eaten! Though the German beer and the cracking night out we’d just had may have had something to do with it) It’s also a favourite activity for us to do with our nieces when they come to stay, as they love rolling out the dough and spreading on the puree. But while they’re all fighting over the ham and chorizo, I always go for roasted butternut squash, goats cheese, caramelised red onion chutney, red onion and fresh tomato. Sounds weird, I know, but give it a try, it’s delicious!

It was my strange choice in pizza toppings that inspired this Filo Pastry Parcel. Serve with roast potatoes and wilted greens, or with Caramelised Courgettes (recipe here) and fresh spinach.

Ready in about 1hr 40mins (10 mins prep, 40 mins roasting, 10 mins cooling, 5 mins assembly, 30-35 mins in oven) – serves 4.

Ingredients

• 250g of butternut squash chopped into bite sized
  chunks, about 1″ cubes (no need to peel)
• 1 large clove of garlic (whole and unpeeled)
• 3 or 4 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of black pepper
• 100g of fresh spinach
• 120g pack of goats cheese
• 1 tablespoon of pine nuts
• Half a teaspoon of basil
• Half a teaspoon of oregano
• 1 large red onion, finely diced
• Half a teaspoon of nutmeg
• 1 pack of shop bought filo pastry
• 100g of melted butter

Method

• Preheat oven to 200c / 180c fan / gas mark 6.
• In an oven proof dish, put the butternut squash, whole garlic clove, oil and black pepper.

• Roast for 40 mins, turning the squash over half way through. then remove from oven and allow to cool.

• Meanwhile, wilt your spinach – I place the leaves in a heat proof bowl with a couple of tablespoons of water in, and heat in the microwave on full power for 30 secs. I then turn the leaves over with my hands, and put it back in for another 30 secs. Repeat until just wilted. Then squeeze out all the excess liquid and pull apart the leaves so they’re not in a clump.
• Place the wilted spinach in a bowl and add the goats cheese, pine nuts, herbs, onion, nutmeg and squash once cooled.
• Squeeze out the roasted garlic from its skin, mash it up with the back of a spoon so you don’t get lumps of it in the mixture and add it to the rest of the ingredients and mix well, being careful not to break the squash down.

• Take one filo sheet and brush with some of the melted butter.
• Place another filo sheet on top and spoon the filling into the middle of it. (One sheet would be too weak for the first wrap, you need a double layer of filo to start you off)

• Brush the edges of this one with the butter and fold the sides over the filling and the top and bottom over that to completely cover the filling.

• Brush the next sheet with butter and place the parcel in the middle of it, fold down.

• Repeat the process until all the filo sheets have been used up, placing the parcel fold down each time.
• Place the parcel fold down on a baking tray lined with baking paper and brush with the remainder of the butter.

• Bake for 30-35 mins or until golden brown all over. Turn the tray half way through to ensure an even bake.

Note – If you find the pastry is browning too quickly and you’re worried it will burn, lay a sheet of baking foil over the top for the remainder of the cooking time.