Hortopita
- Total Time
- About 2 hours, somewhat unattended
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 2pounds pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled, seeded and shredded
- Coarse sea salt
- 1bunch Swiss chard (preferably green stemmed)
- ½pound flat-leaf spinach
- 1bunch sweet sorrel
- 1bunch Mediterranean hartwort, about 1½ cups, chopped
- 1bunch chervil, about 1½ cups chopped
- 1½cups snipped fresh dill
- 3bunches wild fennel, leaves only, about 2½ cups chopped
- 1small bunch parsley, chopped
- 1small bunch fresh oregano, chopped
- 1small bunch mint leaves, chopped
- 1cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1leek, tough greens trimmed and discarded, whites rinsed well and chopped
- 2red onions, finely chopped
- 1recipe for homemade phyllo, at room temperature and divided into four equal-size balls
- Flour for rolling out the pastry
Nutritional analysis per serving (10 servings)
303 calories; 22 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 16 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 26 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 5 grams protein; 682 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Put the pumpkin in a colander, salt lightly and toss. Weight the pumpkin with a plate and weights (some canned food will do), and drain for about an hour. Trim, wash, drain and coarsely chop the greens and herbs.
- Step 2
Preheat the oven to 350. Squeeze the pumpkin to get rid of as much liquid as possible. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet (or wide pot), and cook the pumpkin until it wilts and most or all of its liquid has evaporated. Transfer to a large bowl.
- Step 3
Wipe the skillet clean, and heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in it; cook down the leek and onions, stirring, until wilted. Transfer to the bowl with the pumpkin.
- Step 4
Heat another 2 tablespoons of oil in the skillet, and wilt the chard and spinach; add to the bowl. Add the remaining greens and herbs to the bowl, and season to taste with a generous amount of salt and a little pepper. Reserve 8 tablespoons of olive oil; stir what remains into the greens mixture.
- Step 5
Lightly oil a 15-inch round pan or a shallow, rectangular roasting or sheet pan (16 inches by 12 inches). Roll out the first dough ball on a lightly floured surface, using the shape of your pan as the guide. For round pans, roll out to a circle about 18 inches in diameter; for rectangular pans, roll out to a rectangle about 3 inches larger than the perimeter of the pan. Place the dough inside, leaving about 2 inches hanging over the edge. Brush with two tablespoons of olive oil. Repeat with the second piece of dough. Brush that too with olive oil. Spread the filling evenly over the phyllo.
- Step 6
Repeat the rolling process for the third sheet, placing it over the filling and pressing down gently. Brush with olive oil. Finally, roll out the last piece of dough to a slightly smaller piece, and place it over the surface of the pie. Join and fold in the bottom and top overhanging dough, rolling it around the perimeter of the pan to form a pretty rim. Brush the top of the pie generously with olive oil. Score into serving pieces (do not cut through to the bottom).
- Step 7
Place in the center rack of the oven, and bake for about 40 to 50 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and crisp and the pie pulls away from the perimeter of the pan. Remove, cool in the pan and serve warm or at room temperature.
Private Notes
Comments
Hartwort is an herb that we haven't seen growing in New England - nor seen in markets. Horta = wild greens of all sorts, so perhaps one could substitute something else?
Just a beautiful and surprising combination of flavors. I've been wanting to make this since the recipe was first printed, and it was worth all of the herb and green processing time to see the gorgeous pie come out of the oven! Next time I'll make it with durum flour. I used 'white whole wheat' with the semolina and it was even more 'rustic'.
I, like it seems everyone else, didn't have all the greens and herbs. I used chard, spinach, dandelion, dill (but dried), parsley (which I think is the same thing as chervil?), and fennel (the whole thing, not just the leaves). I also cheated and used store-bought phyllo. It was delicious! I've made most of the phyllo pies on this site and I think this is my favorite. Will try the homemade phyllo next time.
In the cookbook, this is "longevity pie." This recipe is endlessly variable and invariably delicious! Agree that it's a great way to use up all the greens from your garden or CSA box. I've tried it with squash, sweet potatoes, and without any "orange" veg, and I do prefer it with that touch of sweetness. Have also done the homemade phyllo, store-bought phyllo, and puff pastry at different times. They all work, but it's worth doing the homemade if you have the time. Resist the urge to add cheese!
I broke most of the rules when making this tonight; I think the spirit of hortopita is to use what is available in your yard, and today that was sorrel, chives, dandelion, and mint. I added those bitter and sour greens to spinach and arugula from the co-op, butternut squash from the local food co-op and a sweet onion to temper the bitterness. It was magnificent!
I used regular pastry dough instead of making my own filo. I substituted a sweet potato for the winter squash, added lemon juice and zest as well as crumbled feta. I also used the greens I had in the garden - collards, kale, mustard greens as well as spinach. Yummy.
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