Recipe: Greek Spinach and Cheese Pie (Spanakopita, Joy of Cooking, with photos)

GREEK SPINACH AND CHEESE PIE (SPANAKOPITA)



2 pounds (or three bags, 10 ounces each) spinach
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 scallions, finely chopped
1/4 cup snipped fresh dill or chopped fresh parsley
4 large eggs
8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons grated kefalotiri (Greek grating cheese) or Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
Several grinds of black pepper
Pinch of freshly grated or ground nutmeg
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter:
1 pound phyllo dough*, thawed if frozen

Stem, wash well, and coarsely chop spinach.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and scallions and cook until softened, 5 to 7 minutes:

Add the chopped spinach a handful at a time. Cook until the spinach is wilted and the liquid is released, 5 minutes.

Increase the heat to high and cook, stirring often, until the liquid is evaporated and the spinach is dry, 7 to 10 minutes.

Stir in the fresh dill or chopped fresh parsley. Let stand until cool enough to handle, then squeeze to remove the excess liquid.

In a medium bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Add the cooked spinach mixture along with feta cheese, kefalotiri or Parmesan cheese, salt, black pepper, and nutmeg.



Lightly oil a 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Melt the butter.

Unroll phyllo dough on a dry work surface. Trim 1-inch from the edges of the phyllo dough. Cover with plastic wrap and cover the plastic with a damp towel.

Lay 1 sheet of phyllo in and up the sides of the prepared pan and brush lightly with melted butter. Top with 7 more phyllo sheets, brushing each one lightly with butter.

Spread the spinach mixture over the layered phyllo. Top with 8 more sheets, brushing each one with butter, including the top sheet.

Roll the overhanging phyllo from tile sides to form a border all the way around.

With a thin, sharp knife, cut the pie into squares or diamonds, but do not cut through the bottom or the filling will leak onto the pan.

Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Bake the spinach pie until crisp and golden, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand for a few minutes. Cut the squares or diamonds right through to the bottom and serve.

*WORKING WITH PHYLLO:
Phyllo, literally leaf in Greek, is available frozen in most grocery stores or fresh from Greek and Middle Eastern bakeries. It is essential to keep the thin sheets from drying out. If using frozen phyllo, thaw it slowly, without unwrapping, in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight. Once it is thawed, unwrap the phyllo and remove only the number of sheets required for the recipe; rewrap the remaining sheets in plastic wrap and return to the refrigerator or freezer.

Makes about thirty 2-inch squares or diamonds
Source: Joy of Cooking by Irma S. Rombauer, Ethan Becker, Marion Rombauer Becker