Recipe | Broccoli, leek & ricotta pie

My friend Alice and I have a lot in common. We have sons the same age, we are both of Chinese descent, lived in Australia as schoolgirls and, most importantly, love food. There’s only one drawback: Alice doesn’t love cake.

When she announced she would no longer be eating meat, I was bemused. And annoyed. I mean, first cake, now meat – what was left to share? I soon got over that. I created this pie for Alice when she moved into her new flat.

Inspired by the classic orecchiette broccoli pasta, it’s comforting, with leeks braised down until soft and sweet, and punchy pops from the anchovies, lemon and chilli. We ate it with a tomato and onion salad and washed it all down with a lovely wine in the garden on a gentle summer’s evening.

Serves: 6

Ingredients

80 ml olive oil and melted butter, combined (40 ml of each)

7 sheets filo pastry

25 g panko (or regular dried) breadcrumbs

Pie filling

60 ml live oil

1–2 leeks, rinsed, sliced lengthways, then cut into 5 mm slices (300 g)

3 garlic cloves, crushed

8 anchovies, roughly chopped (about 25 g)

1 teaspoon dried oregano

½–1 teaspoon chilli flakes

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

600 g broccoli, stalks and head separated, both roughly chopped into 2–3 cm pieces

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1½ tablespoons lemon juice

250 g smooth ricotta from tub

1 egg, lightly beaten

50 g pecorino (or parmesan), finely grated

20 g flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

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Method

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. 

2. Meanwhile, for the filling heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium–low heat. Add the leeks and cook for about 8 minutes, stirring often, until they have softened but not coloured. Add the garlic, anchovies, oregano, chilli and ½ teaspoon of the fennel seeds and cook for another 2–3 minutes. 

3. When the water has come to a boil, add all of the broccoli, return to a boil, then cook for 1 minute. Drain, then add to the pan with the leeks. Cook over medium–low heat for 2–3 minutes, stirring so that everything is combined. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool for 10 minutes, then add the lemon zest and juice, ricotta, egg, pecorino or parmesan, parsley, salt and pepper. Mix gently to combine and set aside. 

4. Preheat the oven to 180˚C fan-forced. Lightly brush a 23 cm springform cake tin with some of the olive oil and butter mixture, then drape a sheet of filo on top, leaving some overhang. Brush with more of the oil-butter mix, then scatter some breadcrumbs on top. Lay another sheet of filo at a right angle to the first sheet, and repeat with the oil-butter and breadcrumbs. Continue layering with all but two of the remaining sheets of filo, ensuring an even coverage all around the tin. 

5. Spoon the broccoli filling into the centre, spreading it out evenly. Fold in the filo overhang, and if it doesn’t quite cover the filling, brush the remaining sheets with more oil-butter mix and crumple them up loosely to cover the patch. 

6. Sprinkle with the remaining fennel seeds and bake for about 50 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool the pie in the tin for 5 minutes before removing from the tin. Let it cool for a further 20 minutes before slicing and serving.

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