Sweet Greek Butternut Squash Pie (Kolokithopita)

Greek-Kolokithopita-Butternut-Squash-Pie-Recipe

4.67 from 3 votes

Sweet Greek Butternut Squash Pie (Kolokithopita)

This Greek Butternut Squash Pie is made from scratch with homemade crunchy filo, and a delicious filling with rice, sesame, walnuts, and spices.

Prep Time1 30

Cook Time55

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Greek

Keyword: dairy-free, Oven baked, pie

Servings: pieces

Calories: 368kcal

Ingredients

For The Pie Filling:

1300 grams (2.1 pounds) butternut squash (box grater, course shred)
½ teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons honey
100 grams (3.5 ounce) short grain rice
4 tablespoons raisins
½ cup walnuts
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
⅓ teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

For The Filo:

500 grams (4 cups) durum wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
300 ml water
80 ml olive oil
50 grams (5 tablespoons) all-purpose flour
50 grams (5 tablespoons) cornstarch

To Serve With:

icing sugar
ground cinnamon

Instructions

Prepare The Butternut Squash:

Add the grated squash to a strainer. Mix well with the salt and then place in the fridge overnight. Or for at least 4 hours.

Prepare The Pie Filling:

Squeeze the squash to remove its water and place it in a bowl.
Add the honey, 5 tablespoons of sugar, rice, raisins, nutmeg, cloves, and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Mix well and set aside.
Finely ground the walnuts in a small food processor.
Add the walnuts to a bowl. Combine with the sesame seeds, 5 tablespoons of sugar, and the remaining 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Mix well and set aside.

Make The Filo Dough:

In a mixing bowl add the durum wheat flour together with the salt, red wine vinegar, and 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Stir for the salt to distribute evenly. Then slowly add the water in while kneading. Once you have added all of the water knead the dough for 5 minutes. It's going to be a firm slightly soft dough. If needed add an extra tiny splash of water.
Cover the bowl with a tea towel and rest the dough at room temperature for about 30 minutes.

Make The Pie:

The all-purpose flour and cornstarch will be used to roll open the filo. So mix them together in a small bowl and place it on your working surface.
The 80 ml of olive oil will be used to brush the filo. So again keep it in a small bowl or cup along with a pastry brush next to you.
Remove the dough from the bowl and place it on your working surface. Shape it into a cord and cut it in half. Then cut each half into 5 pieces (10 in total).
Shape each piece into a round ball.
Dust some of the flour and cornstarch mix onto your working surface. Take the first ball and dust it as well. Roll it open to a round disk about 15 cm (inch) in diameter. Set aside and repeat the process for the next ball.
Add 2 teaspoons of olive oil and spread it over the surface of the first round disk you made (leaving about 1 cm of space all around the edges). Top it with the second disk you've made and press the edges all around so the two filo stick together. This is a double filo.
NOTE: Double filo is more stretchy due to the olive oil. Therefore, easier to roll it open into a bigger size, which is needed for the bottom layers of the pie.
Make another double filo. Then let the filo rest for 15 minutes. Resting helps with the rolling of the dough.
Dust your working surface and place the double filo. Dust it on top as well. Then start to roll it open up and down with the rolling pin. Whenever it feels like it is starting to get sticky dust more flour to it.
Once it has gotten slightly bigger wrap it around the rolling pin, dust the surface again, and unroll on the surface this time facing it widthwise. Keep rolling and flipping the filo upside down and sideways until it's about 45 cm in diameter.
NOTE: The bottom filos' should be big enough to hang out of the pan a little bit. In order to secure the filling and overlap on top of the pie at the end to create a nice pie edging.
Brush a round 31 cm (12-inch) pan with a bit of olive oil.
Roll the filo on your rolling pin and slowly unroll it over the pan. Gently press it to fit inside the pan letting it hang out a bit all around the edges.
Brush the filo lightly with a bit of olive oil. Sprinkle 4 tablespoons of the walnut and spices mix all over the surface of the filo.
Then roll open the next double filo and add it on top. Brush it with olive oil as well. Sprinkle 4 more tablespoons of the walnut and spices mix.
Take a dough ball and roll it open into a smaller-sized filo this time. One that fits inside the pan. If it turns out slightly bigger ruffle it a bit to fit inside. Brush it with olive oil.
Add ½ of the filling and spread it evenly with a spoon.
Preheat oven to 200°C / 392°F.
Make another filo and add to the pan as well. Brush it with olive oil and again 4 tablespoons of the walnut mix.
Add another filo, brush it with olive oil, and spread the remaining half of the filling on top.
Make another filo add it to the pan, brush it with olive oil and add the remaining walnut and spices mix on top. Then make two last filos for the top of the pie.
Overlap the excess filo that hangs out of the pan one by one brushing it with olive oil. Tuck it in to create a nice pie edging. Brush the top of the pie with olive oil as well.
Carefully cut and divide the pie into 14 square pieces. But without cutting the bottom layers of filo so the filling won't stick to the bottom.
Bake for about 30 minutes on your oven's lowest rack. Until deep golden and very crispy. Then drop the temperature to 180°C / 356°F and bake for 15 minutes more.
Once you remove the pie from the oven place the pan on a cooling rack. Let the pie sit for at least 30 minutes before cutting and serving.
Serve the pie with icing sugar and ground cinnamon on top. Enjoy!

Nutrition