Kolokithopita Glykia | Sweet Butternut Squash, Sesame & Tahini Pie

A sweet Greek filo pie filled with caramelised squash and tahini, brushed with Honest Toil olive oil

This blog & recipe is by Despina Siahuli, a London-based chef and recipe developer whose heart belongs to Athens, where she grew up. Discover more of Despina's Honest Toil recipes here.

As a child, the only way we ate butternut squash was in a pie, either sweet or savoury. My grandma Katerina grew her own squashes in her little garden, letting them swell under the summer sun. When autumn arrived, she would cut into a squash and make the first pies of the season. She always made two: one sweet and one savoury.

A few years ago, while on holiday in Halkidiki, our neighbour Maria offered me a sweet kolokithopita generously scattered with sesame seeds, and I instantly fell in love.

This recipe is inspired by that pie, with a little tahini added for extra earthiness and a smooth, nutty richness. The squash is roasted with Honest Toil olive oil, honey and cinnamon until soft and caramelised, then combined with toasted sesame, tahini and lemon zest. Brushed generously with olive oil, the filo becomes beautifully golden and crisp in the oven.

Enjoy it with a cup of tea, your morning coffee, or a glass of wine and some mature cheese.

Ingredients

Roasted squash

• 700–800g butternut squash, peeled and diced
• Honest Toil olive oil, enough to generously coat the squash
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp honey
• A pinch of salt

700g peeled squash is approximately the upper portion of a medium-sized butternut squash.

Sesame & tahini filling

• 100g sesame seeds
• 3 tbsp tahini
• 3 tbsp honey, or to taste
• 1 tsp vanilla extract, optional
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• Zest of 1 lemon
• A pinch of salt

Filo pastry

• 8–10 sheets filo pastry
• Honest Toil olive oil, for brushing and rolling
• 1 tbsp honey, for the finishing glaze

To serve

• Honey
• Tahini
• Ground cinnamon
• Extra lemon, optional

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C fan / 200°C conventional / Gas Mark 6 and line a baking tray with baking paper.

1. Roast the squash
   Add the diced squash to the tray and drizzle generously with Honest Toil olive oil, using enough to coat all the pieces. Add the cinnamon, honey and a pinch of salt, then toss everything together until evenly coated. Roast for 25–30 minutes, or until the squash is soft and lightly caramelised. You can also experiment with warming spices such as cardamom, clove or nutmeg.
2. Toast the sesame seeds
   Add the sesame seeds to a dry frying pan and toast over a medium-low heat for 3–5 minutes, stirring frequently. Once golden and fragrant, remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly. Keep an eye on them as they can burn quickly.
3. Make the filling
   Place the roasted squash in a large bowl and roughly mash with a fork. In a separate bowl, mix together the tahini, honey, vanilla extract, cinnamon and lemon zest. Add this to the mashed squash, followed by the toasted sesame seeds, and mix until well combined. Taste and adjust to your liking, adding a little more honey for sweetness, tahini for nuttiness or cinnamon for warmth.
4. Assemble the pie
   You will need a round baking dish or cake tin approximately 26–28cm in diameter. Keep the filo sheets covered with a slightly damp tea towel while you work to prevent them from drying out. Lay one filo sheet on a clean work surface with a short edge facing you. Fold approximately 3cm of pastry over at the edge closest to you and lightly brush the sheet with Honest Toil olive oil. Spread around 50–60g of filling along the folded edge, then gently roll the pastry around the filling to create a long log, brushing lightly with more olive oil as you roll. Repeat with the remaining filo sheets and filling. Take the first filled filo log and curve it around the outer edge of your baking dish. Take the next log, tuck one end into the previous one and continue coiling it just inside the first. Repeat, working your way towards the centre until you have formed a complete spiral. Don't worry if the spiral isn't perfectly neat – the rustic look is part of its charm. If you don't have a round dish, arrange the filled filo logs in rows in a square baking dish, or make them into individual spirals instead.
5. Bake the pie
   Mix 1 tbsp Honest Toil olive oil with 1 tbsp honey and brush generously over the top and sides of the pie. Bake at 180°C fan for 20–30 minutes, or until the filo is crisp and golden. Keep an eye on it towards the end as filo can brown quickly.
6. To serve
   Finish with a generous drizzle of honey and tahini, a dusting of cinnamon and a little extra lemon, if you like. Serve warm or at room temperature.