Thursday, January 15, 2009

Spanakopita (Greek Spinach Pie)

"I love spinach pie, but was always afraid to use phyllo dough. It wasn't as hard as I thought. This was very yummy but lacked just a little in flavor. You may want to add more cheese or even your favorite shredded variety."


INGREDIENTS:

* 3 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 large onion, chopped
* 1 bunch green onions, chopped
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 2 pounds spinach, rinsed and chopped (I used two bags of Aunt Mid's baby spinach)
* 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
* 2 eggs, lightly beaten
* 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
* 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
*1/2 box Athen's phyllo dough sheets
* 1/2 cup olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly oil a 9x9 inch square baking pan.
2. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onion, green onions and garlic, until soft and lightly browned. Stir in spinach and parsley, and continue to saute until spinach is limp, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together eggs, ricotta, and feta. Stir in spinach mixture. Lay 1 sheet of phyllo dough in prepared baking pan, and brush lightly with olive oil. Lay another sheet of phyllo dough on top, brush with olive oil, and repeat process with two more sheets of phyllo. The sheets will overlap the pan. Spread spinach and cheese mixture into pan and fold overhanging dough over filling. Brush with oil, then layer remaining sheets of phyllo dough, brushing each with oil. Tuck overhanging dough into pan to seal filling (making a large pocket).
4. Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until golden brown. Cut into squares and serve while hot.

Notes:

I ran the parsley and spinach through the food processor

1 comment:

Jacque said...

This is one of my fave dishes, so this recipe had high expectations. I added another handful of feta, just cause I'm a feta fanatic. I also added a handful of shredded swiss cheese. I added a layer of phyllo in the center, kinda like a lasagna. It was fabulous!!! Thanks Jen