The traditional spanakopita is here given a springtime twist by substituting nettles for spinach. Young nettles are a sweet, nutritious and free option in contrast to spinach.

• Prep Time: 20 min Cooking Time: 50 min

• 6 servings

• 150g nettle leaves
• 100g butter, 25g solid, 75g melted
• 200g feta, crumbled
• 50g parmesan, finely grated
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 1 egg, beaten
• grated nutmeg
• 7 sheets filo pastry
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• green salad, to serve

For the filling, wash the nettles well but don’t drain them too thoroughly. Heat the solid butter in a large frying pan. When it’s sizzling and has turned a nutty brown, add the nettles and cook for about 6 mins until wilted. Leave to cool.

After squeezing out as much liquid as you can from the nettles with a tea towel, roughly chop them and place them in a bowl. Season generously before adding the feta, parmesan, lemon zest and juice, about two-thirds of the eggs, and a pinch of nutmeg. The filling should not be sloppy but loose.

Pre-heat the oven to 200 C/180 C fan/gas 6. Lay three filo sheets end to end on your work surface, overlapping by approximately 5 centimeters, to assemble the spanakopita. Apply three more sheets on top of each piece before brushing with more butter and placing the final sheet in the middle for additional support. To prevent any filling from escaping, spread the nettle mixture along the edge, about 2 cm wide, and tuck the short ends under. The pastry should be rolled into a long sausage. Roll the sausage up from one end into a 20 centimeter-wide spiral. If it fits, place the spanakopita in a shallow round pan, such as an oven-safe frying pan. If not, place it on a baking sheet sprayed with butter.

Brush the pie liberally with the remaining egg and scatter with the sesame seeds. Bake for 40-45 mins or until golden brown. Leave to cool until just warm, then serve in slices with a peppery salad.