Kataifi Kiounefe (sweet cheese pie with shredded filo pastry)

Kataifi Kiounefe (sweet cheese pie with shredded filo pastry)




Ingredients

300g kataifi (shredded filo) pastry
3 tablespoons fresh butter, melted
250g ricotta cheese (traditionally fresh myzithra or anthotyro cheese)
1/2 tea cup of pistachio nuts, finely chopped
For the syrup2 tea cups of sugar
1½ tea cup of water
1 cinnamon stick
a piece of lemon zest
1/2 lemon (juice)



Method

Spread the kataifi pastry out and make it fluffy with your fingers.
Grease with butter 2 round baking pans 20cm in diameter.
 Place a layer of kataifi pastry on the bottom.
  Grate or mash the myzithra with a fork.
 Divide the cheese in the two pans.
Cover with another layer of kataifi and drizzle with the melted butter.
 Bake in a preheated oven at 200ºC for 40 minutes.
 Then, turn them out and bake for another 15 minutes.
In the meantime prepare the syrup:
Simmer all ingredients for 3-4 minutes and pour the syrup over the kiounefe the moment you take them out of the oven.
Sprinkle with the pistachio nuts,
 cut it in wedges and serve hot.