Description
Spanakopita is a Greek spinach and cheese pie wrapped crispy phyllo pastry. It’s simple to make and so delicious!
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or melted butter, plus about 1/2 cup more for the pastry
- 1 cup green onions, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 20 oz Taylor Farms baby spinach
- 1 large egg, (can omit if egg free)
- 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 1–2 teaspoons dried dill weed, to taste (optional)
- 1 cup (about 5-6oz) feta cheese, crumbled (can also use dairy-free ricotta)
- Freshly ground pepper
- 10–12 sheets phyllo dough, thawed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Heat the 2 tablespoons oil/butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add green onion and cook until softened, 1-2 minutes. Stir in garlic and continue to cook for 1 minute. Add a few handfuls of spinach and cook a few minutes until wilted. Continue to add spinach in batches, until it is all cooked down. Let cool, then place spinach mixture in a colander or sieve and press with the back of a wooden spoon to squeeze out all excess liquid. Transfer strained mixture to a large bowl and stir in egg, herbs, feta, and pepper.
- Liberally grease or butter the bottom and sides of an 8-inch springform pan.
- Place phyllo dough under a damp towel to keep it from drying out. Take 1 sheet of phyllo and fit into the bottom of the spring form pan. Brush with oil/butter and fold in the corners to make a circle. Brush with more butter/oil and repeat with one more sheet of phyllo. This makes a nice, thick crust on the bottom.
- Working quickly and with one sheet at a time, place one end of the dough into the bottom of the pan, letting the other side hang over the edge of the pan. Brush the bottom and sides with more butter/oil, leaving the overhang part dry. Repeat with 6-7 more sheets, brushing oil in between sheets and slightly overlapping the previous sheet as you go around the entire pan.
- Spread spinach mixture into the pan and loosely fold in sides, leaving a slight opening in the center. Allow the phyllo to fold naturally, leaving big waves and ruffles for a pretty finish. Lightly brush a bit more butter/oil over the folds. You can add additional phyllo pieces to areas that have cracked or broken off.
- Place pan into the oven, on the middle rack, and bake until the top is golden, about 40-50 minutes. Let cool thoroughly before removing from the pan. Serves 6-8
- Category: Main, appetizer, vegetarian