I haven’t made kolokithopita in years. This satisfying combination of courgettes, feta cheese and phyllo pastry was a regular summer visitor when I used to grow courgettes – along with pasta alle zucchini and chocolate chip zucchini bread.
Last week my younger daughter announced that she was going vegetarian for a month. I’m very happy to support her with this ambition – we eat plenty of vegetarian meals already, and when I do cook meat it is seldom the main event, so it hasn’t made much difference to what I serve her for dinner.
It has got me thinking about vegetarian meals I used to cook before we adapted our diet to family life, which is where the idea to make kolokithopita came from.
I thought it was lovely, but it wasn’t a big hit with the girls. Though on the plus side, “courgettes can taste a lot worse than this”…;-)
Kolokithopita (courgette pie)
(serves 6)
- 2 Tb sunflower oil
- 1 kg courgettes (3-4 medium), grated
- 200g feta, crumbled
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- 1 small onion, minced
- a small bunch mint (or dill), leaves roughly chopped
- salt and pepper
- 50g butter, melted
- 1 package phyllo pastry (8 sheets)
- 25g pine nuts (optional)
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium flame. Add the courgettes and cook for about five minutes, until just softened. Remove from heat and drain in a colander.
- In a large bowl, combine the drained courgettes, feta, eggs, onion and mint. Season generously with salt and pepper.
- Brush the bottom and sides of a rectangular oven-proof dish with melted butter. Lay a sheet of phyllo in the dish and brush with melted butter. Add three more sheets of phyllo this way.
- Spread the filling on top of the sheets of buttered phyllo. Top with the remaining phyllo sheets, spreading each one with melted butter.
- Trim off any overhanging phyllo, or scrunch it together round the edge of the dish. Scatter the pine nuts on top, then bake for about 40 minutes, until golden brown and piping hot.
- Allow to cool a bit before cutting and serving.
Ten More Bites 
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Thanks for that, Henrietta!
You are welcome!
‘Courgettes can taste a lot worse than this’. The living definition of a backhanded compliment!
Indeed 🙂
This Courgette pie looks fantastic! 😀
Thanks for that! Not a great hit with the kids unfortunately. Though at least “courgettes can taste way worse than this…”
I wouldn’t say so, my nephew loves vegetables and especially courgettes more than cake 😀
I always loved courgettes too — clearly not in the genes…;-)
Thanks for the recipe. I never knew zucchini was also called courgette. What a great way to use them!
I learned that when I moved to the UK. And that an eggplant is an aubergine 🙂