Equipment
Ingredients
Produce
- 500 g butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and diced into 1cm cubes
- 250 g cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 100 g baby spinach, washed and dried
- 2 garlic, minced
Dairy and Fats
- 100 g unsalted butter, melted
- 150 g feta cheese, crumbled
- 30 ml olive oil
Pantry and Flavorings
- 200 g filo pastry, thawed if frozen, about 6 to 8 sheets
- 50 g walnuts, roughly chopped
- 5 g fresh sage, finely chopped
- 1 g ground nutmeg
- salt
- black pepper
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 662 kcal
- Protein
- 15 g
- Carbohydrates
- 50 g
- Fat
- 48 g
- Fiber
- 6 g
- Sugar
- 4 g
- Sodium
- 895 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 20 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 16 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 8 g
- Cholesterol
- 87 mg
- Potassium
- 1008 mg
- Calcium
- 330 mg
- Iron
- 4.5 mg
- Magnesium
- 109 mg
- Phosphorus
- 346 mg
- Zinc
- 2.9 mg
- Vitamin A
- 1000 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 35 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.2 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 4.2 mg
- Vitamin K
- 131 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.6 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.7 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.58 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.90 mg
- Niacin
- 6.6 mg
- Folate
- 167 mcg
- Water
- 231 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Toss the diced butternut squash with the olive oil, a pinch of salt, and pepper directly on the lined baking sheet. Roast in the oven for 25 minutes until tender and caramelized at the edges. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and dry-fry for about 5 to 7 minutes until they release their moisture and begin to brown. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 additional minute.
Stir the baby spinach into the hot mushroom mixture, tossing gently for 1 to 2 minutes just until the leaves are completely wilted. Remove from heat and drain any excess liquid.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the slightly cooled roasted squash, the mushroom and spinach mixture, crumbled feta, chopped walnuts, fresh sage, and ground nutmeg. Stir gently to evenly distribute the ingredients. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
Lay one sheet of filo pastry flat on a clean work surface and brush it lightly but completely with melted butter. Top with a second sheet and repeat the buttering process until you have a stack of 6 sheets. Keep any unused filo covered with a damp towel to prevent it from drying out.
Spoon the filling in an even log shape along one of the long edges of your pastry stack, leaving a 3cm border at the short ends. Fold the short ends inward over the filling, then roll the pastry up tightly to enclose the filling completely.
Carefully transfer the strudel to the parchment-lined baking sheet, placing it seam-side down. Brush the entire exterior generously with the remaining melted butter. Score the top diagonally with a sharp knife, cutting only through the top layers of pastry. Bake at 200°C (400°F) for 30 minutes until deep golden brown and crisp.
Remove the pastry from the oven and let it rest on the baking sheet for 10 minutes. This allows the filling to set and makes slicing much easier.
Chef's Notes
- Dry-frying the mushrooms before adding any oil or butter is a fantastic technique to draw out their moisture and intensify their meaty flavor without making them greasy.
- Do not skip scoring the top of the pastry before baking. This allows steam to escape from the filling, preventing the pastry log from bursting at the seams.
- If your feta is particularly salty, hold back on adding any extra salt to the filling until you have mixed and tasted it.
- For an extra layer of flavor and crunch, sprinkle sesame seeds or nigella seeds over the top of the strudel immediately after the final buttering.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container. Reheat in the oven to restore crispness; never microwave.
Freezer: 1 month — Freeze unbaked. Bake directly from frozen, adding 15 minutes to the cooking time.
Troubleshooting
Filo pastry cracks or shatters while rolling
Cause: The pastry dried out from exposure to air or lacked sufficient butter between the layers.
Fix: Patch any tears or cracks with a scrap piece of buttered filo pastry pressed firmly over the hole.
Prevention: Always keep unused filo under a slightly damp tea towel and work swiftly when buttering.
Bottom of the pastry is soggy
Cause: The mushrooms or spinach retained too much water, or the filling was rolled while still piping hot, creating steam inside the parcel.
Fix: Bake the strudel on the lowest oven rack for an additional 5 to 10 minutes to help crisp the base.
Prevention: Cook mushrooms until completely dry, squeeze excess moisture from the spinach, and ensure the filling is cooled before assembling.
Cultural Context
Strudel-style savory pastries draw heavy inspiration from Mediterranean and Balkan traditions, where thin, unleavened dough like phyllo or yufka is used to encase hearty, spiced vegetarian fillings. The combination of squash, sage, and nuts introduces a classic autumnal flavor profile common in Northern Italian and French rustic cooking, making this dish a true European fusion.
