Spanakopita (Spinach Pie)

Spanakopita (Spinach Pie)

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I love Spanakopita. I never really liked spinach. When my aunt make spinach, we were forced to eat it – or just look at that pile of green stuff on our plate while the other kids went to play after dinner. Stuck at that table with a lump of quickly cooling, oozing green nastiness. Then, I grew up and learned to like green things. With lots of butter & salt.

Spanakopita

Spinach pie: fresh spinach or frozen? My attempts at fresh spinach for spanakopita failed. It tasted like dirt even though I washed and washed. I prefer frozen now, because there is a lot less fuss over preparation. You don’t have to cook it through, since it is already wilted, but I fold mine into my sauteed, seasoned veggies, and cook it just a little to warm it up, and let some of the steam or remaining moisture evaporate.

Spanakopita Ingredients

Seasonings are better when fresh, such as dill and parsley. I almost never have the fresh stuff, so if you do, double the amount used. And use as much onion & green onion as you see fit. I like to combine the two, or sometimes leave out the green onion. About 1 medium white or yellow onion and a half-bunch of green onion makes a good base to complement the spinach.

Spanakopita Mix & Phyllo Dough

Spanakopita cheese: just feta, or feta and ricotta? This is a personal preference – the feta did not provide enough richness to my liking, so I combine both feta and ricotta cheese for a rich, creamy tasty Greek spinach pie. Try it with cottage cheese, if that’s your thing.

Spanakopita Layers

During assembly, you want to keep they phyllo dough moist, so I put a very lightly moistened paper towel over the top of my sheet pile.

Then, after each layer of pastry sheet, I dab the whole layer, end-to-end with olive oil.

Before the last two or three layers, I fold the edges in and over the top.

Spanakopita Baked

Bake at 350° F for 35 minutes.

Spanakopita Spinach Pie Closeup
Spanakopita!

Spanakopita (Spinach Pie)

Greek spinach pie, rich and creamy and easy to prepare.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 30 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Servings: 12
Calories: 178kcal

Ingredients

  • 3 T olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 c green onions, chopped optional
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 16 oz frozen spinach, drained well
  • 2 T parsley
  • 3 eggs, beaten
  • ½ c ricotta cheese
  • 1 c feta cheese crumbles
  • 1 t dill weed
  • t nutmeg
  • 1 package phyllo dough, thawed
  • ¾ c olive oil

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350° F. Lightly grease a 9×9 baking pan.
  • Heat 3 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sautee onions & garlic until soft and lightly brown. Add spinach, parsley and seasonings. Mix and cook until heated through (about a minute). Remove from heat and let cool.
  • In a medium bowl, mix eggs and cheese. Stir into spinach mixture.
  • Lay 1 sheet of dough in pan and brush lightly with oil. Lay another sheet of dough, brush with oil and repeat with 2 more sheets. Give it another light coating of oil, ensuring all layers are coated end to end.
  • Spread spinach and cheese mixture into pan and fold overhanging dough over filling. Layer the remaining 4 sheets of dough with adequate oil between each layer and on top, then tuck overhanging dough into pan to seal.
  • Bake for 35 minutes or until golden brown.

Notes

Spanakopita Nutrition Label
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