Melt your butter and set it aside. I like to do this in a clear container. The milk proteins will settle at the bottom. We only want to use the yellow part (fat) so the knafeh is crispy.

Chop your shredded filo dough into 1 inch pieces. Separate the strands and place into a bowl. Mix in the knafeh dye powder and distribute evenly.

Add the melted butter and mix with your hands until all the dough is coated in butter and evenly colored. Set aside.

Roughly break up your cheeses and chop on a food processor. You can also grate them.

To assemble, brush the bottom of your standard sheet pan with some ghee. Add 3/4 of the shredded filo dough and spread evenly. Cover with a sheet of parchment or plastic wrap and place another sheet pan on top. Press firmly with a lot of pressure to compact it down.

Remove the sheet pan and parchment paper and then evenly spread your cheese. Repeat the compacting process. Evenly spread the istha on the compacted cheese. Spread the remaining filo dough on top and compact one last time.

Bake at 450 F for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edges to loosen the melted cheese. Flip onto another sheet pan. Bake for another 5-7 minutes until the top is crisp and the cheese is melted.

Top with chopped pistachios and serve with simple syrup. Enjoy!