Spanakopita is also known as "Greek spinach
pie". The primary ingredients are spinach, feta cheese and phyllo
pastry. This recipe is definitely Greek. The light flaky phyllo
pastry make it seem exotic and the spinach and cheese make this a wonderful
side dish.
INGREDIENTS:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 pounds spinach, rinsed and chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
4 oz crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1 tsp thyme
1/8 tsp ground pepper
1/4 tsp nutmeg
13 sheets frozen phyllo pastry, thawed, covered with a damp towel
Butter-flavored vegetable cooking spray
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté
onion, green onions and garlic, until soft and lightly browned. Stir in
spinach and parsley, and continue to sauté until spinach is limp, about 2
minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
In a medium bowl, mix together eggs, ricotta, feta, parmesan, thyme, pepper
and nutmeg. Stir in spinach mixture.
Coat a 9-inch or 10-inch spring form pan with cooking spray. Place 1 sheet
of phyllo in pan. Coat lightly with cooking spray. Layer 7 more phyllo
sheets in the pan, coating each with cooking spray and fanning each slightly
to the right (the overhanging phyllo sheets will form a circle around the
pan). Gently press phyllo into the pan, forming a large shell. Fill with
spinach-cheese mixture. Top with 5 more phyllo sheets, coating each layer
with cooking spray and fanning each slightly to the right. Tuck top sheets
around edge of filling. Fold overhanging sheets over top to enclose filling.
Bake uncovered for 25 minutes. Cover with foil and bake an additional 35
minutes. Let stand 15 minutes. Remove from pan and transfer to serving
platter.
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