Spinach and Ricotta Phyllo Parcels

This is a dish that I ‘invented’ after being inspired by some recipes I saw on Masterchef Australia* a couple of summers ago. Its super easy to make, but looks impressive on the plate  which can be fun…

My husband and I both really like phyllo, so it’s handy to have a few uses for it…once the package is opened, it can keep in the fridge for a couple of weeks but no much longer. When cooking for just two of us most of the time, we only need 4-5 sheets at a time.

This Spinach and Ricotta Phyllo Parcels recipe uses a combination of spinach, ricottta, lemon and dill which is both filling and refreshing. I usually serve over a simple – yet bright and delicious – carrot purée.

Enjoy!

* For anyone who enjoys cooking competition shows, I highly recommend Masterchef Australia. It’s far more fun than the American version – its more about the food and the contestants and judges are actually nice to one another. You can find it online…

INGREDIENTS

For Phyllo Parcels:

6 SHEETS PHYLLO PASTRY – Make sure you buy in advance as it needs to defrost in the fridge overnight…something I nearly always forget!

8 CUPS BABY SPINACH – You can substitute frozen spinach if you’d prefer. You need about 4 cups cooked.

2 CUPS RICOTTA CHEESE – Got time to make your own? Here’s a my recipe for Easy Homemade Ricotta – no cheese cloth required

JUICE OF 1 LEMON

1/2 TSP DILL

1/4 CUP MELTED BUTTER – Just for brushing on the pastry.

For Carrot Purée:

8 CARROTS

1/4 CUP SOFTENED BUTTER

DIRECTIONS

Gently sauté the spinach until wilted. Remove from heat and add the ricotta, lemon juice and dill. Incorporate well and leave aside.

Preheat oven to 350° and lightly grease a large baking sheet or cover with parchment paper (usually my preferred method).

On a clean dry surface, lay out 6 sheets of phyllo and cut in half width wise to form 12 smaller not quite square pieces.

Lay one sheet of phyllo and brush lightly with butter. Lay a 2nd sheet over the 1st on an angle and again, brush lightly with butter. Layer with a 3rd piece of phyllo on an angle again so that you have star-like shape with a large three-layer centre. Add 1/4 of the spinach mixture to the centre of the phyllo and gather the corners together, twisting slightly to seal. Transfer to baking sheet and light brush the top with butter. Repeat to make three more parcels.

Bake the Spinach Ricotta Phyllo Parcels in the middle of the oven until golden brown – approximately 15 minutes. Remove from pan onto a plate immediately. Serve while still warm.

Steam or boil the peeled carrots until soft. Transfer carrots to a blender and add the softened blender. Blend until smooth.

Smear 1/4 of the carrot purée and place one phyllo parcel on top.

Prep Time: 30 min

Cooking Time: 20 min