Ahhh, to be on the beach of some small Greek island, soaking up the sun and sipping an ouzo while you wait for your spanakopita to bake… The reality for most of us does not include the Greek island, but you can still bring a little Greece into your home with this recipe for traditional Spinach & Feta Pie. (Sadly, we don’t sell ouzo, but we do carry some lovely Greek wines!)
This is a pretty straightforward dish. A little messy, perhaps, with the oil and butter, but really not too bad. You can make it ahead and freeze it, or refrigerate it overnight before baking. This is a nice big casserole, and definitely a crowd-pleaser. It’s vegetarian, too, but filling enough that you don’t crave meat with it. You can use the filling to make mini fillo cups for appetizers, or make triangles with the fillo for a snack to go! (see below)
Filling
16 oz Frozen Spinach, thawed and really well drained
1 C Fresh Parsley, destemmed and finely chopped (a few stems are ok)
1 ea Large Yellow Onion, finely chopped
2 ea Cloves Garlic, minced
2 T Olive Oil
4 ea Eggs
12 oz Feta Cheese, crumbled
1 Tbsp Dried Dill Weed
1 C Ricotta or Cottage Cheese (optional)
2 teasp Salt
Crust
1 pkg Filo Pastry, properly defrosted (leave in fridge in packaging overnight)
1 C Olive Oil or Melted Butter (or a combination)
Procedure
1) Preheat oven to 325°F degrees
2) Make sure spinach is very well drained/squeezed.
3) Place all filling ingredients together in a mixing bowl and mix thoroughly.
4) Gently unroll the fillo. Lay a sheet on your work surface and brush liberally with oil/butter. (Natural bristle brushes work best, but you can use silicone.) Place another sheet and repeat brushing and layering until you have 8 or 9 sheets (half the roll).
5) Butter the bottom and sides of a 9×13” casserole dish and lay the fillo on the bottom.
6) Place the filling on top, and spread out evenly, just shy of the sides.
7) Repeat step 4 and lay the greased fillo on top, tucking the sides down.
8) Bake for about 1 hour, and remove when golden brown.
9) Slice into squares and serve hot.
For Triangles
Repeat steps 1 – 4, but only layer 3 sheets. (Continue below.)
5) Cut the layered fillo lengthwise into 3 strips.
6) Place a scoop of filling on one end, making sure the sides will close. Fold the fillo over into a triangle, and continue folding like a flag. Make sure the sides are well sealed.
7) Continue filling and folding until all your fillo and filling is used up. (Leftover filling can be fried and served with eggs, or on toast!)
8) Place triangles on a sheet pan and bake for one hour, or until the fillo is crisp and golden brown.
Serve immediately or store in an airtight container. Triangles can be reheated in the oven on low.
