Phyllo Zucchini Pie
A vegetable casserole recipe that's elegant enough for company.
Zucchini, carrots, and cheese are layered between sheets of phyllo dough in one of the most attractive zucchini recipes you'll ever find.
Phyllo dough makes a wonderful crust for pies, casseroles and strudels when you're trying to eat healthy, because it's very low in fat and has no cholesterol.
But because phyllo dough is very thin and breaks easily, you have to be careful in assembling this zucchini pie. Be sure to defrost the phyllo dough in the refrigerator overnight before making this recipe.
As you start, remove the phyllo dough from the refrigerator, but do not unwrap it. There are three layers of filling for this vegetable casserole. Prepare each one before you unwrap the phyllo dough.
Then, sprinkle a kitchen towel with water. Unwrap the phyllo dough, remove the first piece, place it in the prepared pan, and cover the remaining phyllo dough with the kitchen towel immediately. This will keep the phyllo from drying out. Continue assembling the zucchini pie as directed, being careful to keep the phyllo dough covered with the kitchen towel until you're ready to use it.
Phyllo Zucchini Pie
- 6 cups grated zucchini
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, divided
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 3 cups grated carrots
- zest of one lemon
- juice of one lemon
- 1 tsp. ground ginger
- 1 cup egg substitute, such as Egg Beaters
- 1/2 cup non-fat milk
- 3 oz. Neufchatel or low-fat cream cheese
- 1-1/2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
- 24 sheets of phyllo dough
- olive oil-flavored nonstick cooking spray
- 1/3 cup Panko (Japanese bread crumbs) or regular bread crumbs
- 6 oz. grated gruyere cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove thawed phyllo dough from refrigerator, but do not open. Just leave out on the counter to come to room temperature. Spray a 9 x 13 pan with olive oil-flavored nonstick cooking spray.
Mix the zucchini and Parmesan cheese together in a colander. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside to drain.
Heat olive oil in a medium saute pan. Add the carrots and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Season with the lemon juice, lemon zest, ground ginger, salt and pepper. Set aside.
In a blender or food processor, combine egg substitute, milk, Neufchatel cheese, ricotta cheese and salt and pepper. Blend until smooth. Set aside.
Unwrap phyllo dough and remove one sheet. Place in prepared 9 x 13 pan. Spray the phyllo dough sheet with cooking spray. Top with another sheet of phyllo. Spray with cooking spray. Continue in this manner until you have layered eight sheets of phyllo dough. Cover remaining phyllo with the damp kitchen towel. Spread the zucchini and Parmesan cheese mixture on top of the phyllo dough.
Top with eight more sheets of phyllo dough, spraying with cooking spray between each layer, and covering the remaining phyllo with a damp kitchen towel. Spread the carrot mixture on top of this layer. Top with the Panko or bread crumbs. Top with the gruyere cheese. Pour the ricotta cheese mixture on top of this mixture. Top with the remaining eight sheets of phyllo, spraying with cooking spray between each layer and on top of the final layer.
Bake 75 to 90 minutes, until the top of the pie is golden brown. Allow to cool at least 15 minutes before serving.
Makes 12 servings.
Per serving: 340 calories, 16 g fat (8 g saturated), 38 mg cholesterol, 30 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 20 g protein, 120% vitamin A, 26% vitamin C, 42% calcium, 14% iron
