Spanakopitta

Spanakopitta (Greek spinach-cheese pie) is a delicious dish; unfortunately, it can be time consuming and difficult to make.   And, working with phyllo dough is not always easy.   I recently found a very easy recipe that requires minimal assembly (25-minutes prep time) and can be made with frozen spinach.

Skill level: Easy

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
4 medium onions
6 garlic cloves, minced
Kosher salt and ground pepper
6 packages (10 ounces each) frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry.
1 pound feta cheese crumbled
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
½ cup plain dried breadcrumbs
2 teaspoons dried dill
8 large eggs, lightly beaten
8 ounces frozen phyllo sheets, thawed and thinly sliced (approximately 1-inch strips).

This recipe is for 2 batches; however, it can be halved.

Filling:

In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat.   Add onions, and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 3-5 minutes.   Add garlic and 2 teaspoons salt; cook until garlic is tender, 1-2 minutes.   Transfer mixture to a large bowl; stir in spinach, feta, parmesan, breadcrumbs, dill, 2 teaspoons salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper.   Fold in eggs until combined.   Divide mixture evenly between 2 9-inch spring form pans.

Topping:

Now here’s the easy part. Normally, you would layer the phyllo dough. This recipe simply requires that you cut the rolled phyllo dough into 1-inch strips. Take the strips in place in a large bowl, gently toss phyllo to separate, and then toss with remaining ½ cup oil until coated. Divided between pies, covering the tops evenly and completely. At this point, you can freeze and bake later. When frozen, do not thaw place frozen pie directly into oven.

Bake:

Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Add 15 minutes more for frozen pie.