2 packages (300g each) frozen spinach, thawed and drained
2 bunches green onions, roughly chopped
400g of feta cheese, crumbled
1 bunch of fresh dill, roughly chopped
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil + ⅓ cup for phyllo
8 eggs, room temperature
1 package phyllo pastry, thawed
Takes ,
serves 24.
Instructions
Night before: Remove packages of frozen spinach and phyllo dough from freezer. Place them into the refrigerator to defrost overnight.
Day of: Place spinach, phyllo dough and eggs on the counter one hour before you begin.
Drain and chop spinach: Squeeze spinach in a fine sieve so that excess liquid drains away. You can also wring the spinach in a clean dish cloth to remove excess liquid. Chop drained spinach.
Heat oil in a medium-sized skillet on moderate-high temperature. When the oil is shimmering, add the onions and sauté until soft and fragrant. Add the spinach, stirring while it cooks. Cook these ingredients until the skillet goes dry.
Remove the spinach and green onions from the heat. Stir in the feta to incorporate, then set aside to cool completely.
Place eggs and chopped dill into a large measure and whisk together.
Preheat oven to 350°F with the rack in the middle position.
Using an 9 x 14-inch oven-safe baking dish, brush the bottom with a bit of oil. Add the first sheet of phyllo, tucking the edges under to create an even rectangle. Brush the top of the dough lightly with olive oil. Add a second sheet of dough in the same manner and repeat until half of the quantity of phyllo sheets are used.
Spoon the cooled spinach mixture in with the eggs and dill and stir to combine. Gently pour the mixture into the baking dish.
Add the remaining sheets of phyllo, repeating the same process as detailed above. Tuck the edges of the top layer to create a uniform and attractive look. Brush the top of the pie with oil.
Transfer to oven and bake for 55 minutes, or until the top is a rich golden colour.
Remove from oven and cool for 30 minutes before cutting into 12 or 24 squares.
Spinach and Feta Pie Recipe
Ingredients
2 packages (300g each) frozen spinach, thawed and drained
2 bunches green onions, roughly chopped
400g of feta cheese, crumbled
1 bunch of fresh dill, roughly chopped
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil + ⅓ cup for phyllo
8 eggs, room temperature
1 package phyllo pastry, thawed
Directions
Night before: Remove packages of frozen spinach and phyllo dough from freezer. Place them into the refrigerator to defrost overnight.
Day of: Place spinach, phyllo dough and eggs on the counter one hour before you begin.
Drain and chop spinach: Squeeze spinach in a fine sieve so that excess liquid drains away. You can also wring the spinach in a clean dish cloth to remove excess liquid. Chop drained spinach.
Heat oil in a medium-sized skillet on moderate-high temperature. When the oil is shimmering, add the onions and sauté until soft and fragrant. Add the spinach, stirring while it cooks. Cook these ingredients until the skillet goes dry.
Remove the spinach and green onions from the heat. Stir in the feta to incorporate, then set aside to cool completely.
Place eggs and chopped dill into a large measure and whisk together.
Preheat oven to 350°F with the rack in the middle position.
Using an 9 x 14-inch oven-safe baking dish, brush the bottom with a bit of oil. Add the first sheet of phyllo, tucking the edges under to create an even rectangle. Brush the top of the dough lightly with olive oil. Add a second sheet of dough in the same manner and repeat until half of the quantity of phyllo sheets are used.
Spoon the cooled spinach mixture in with the eggs and dill and stir to combine. Gently pour the mixture into the baking dish.
Add the remaining sheets of phyllo, repeating the same process as detailed above. Tuck the edges of the top layer to create a uniform and attractive look. Brush the top of the pie with oil.
Transfer to oven and bake for 55 minutes, or until the top is a rich golden colour.
Remove from oven and cool for 30 minutes before cutting into 12 or 24 squares.
Spinach and Feta Pie Recipe
Loading...
Spinach, feta and green onions blended with fresh dill and eggs, baked between layers of flaky, crisp phyllo pastry…
Love SPANAKOPITA? Then you’re gonna wanna make this SPINACH AND FETA PIE RECIPE!
SPANAKOPITA, also known as Greek SPINACH AND FETA PIE, is one of those treats I love having at the ready on the kitchen counter at the cottage. Actually, this one dish gets the same love in the city too. It’s so great to have around when someone needs a quick bite or snack.
If you’ve never made or tried it before, this is the recipe to make. It’s easy and very tasty, yet there is one little drawback; it always seems to disappear pretty quick. Everyone just adores it!
I better clarify from the outset that we didn’t create this recipe. It comes from my sister Maria, who was taught how to make it from a beloved relative, Thea Joanne. Mrs. Damianos was known for making lots of delicious traditional Greek dishes, and she certainly perfected the technique and measurement of ingredients for this one. It’s really a superior recipe that works perfectly each and every time. All you need to do is follow the directions.
Here are a few tips on making this SPINACH AND FETA PIE RECIPE:
GATHERING
This recipe features a number of ingredients that, when gathered together, create something both unique in flavour and appealing in presentation. As with all of our recipes, we suggest using organic ingredients whenever possible. We do think you’ll taste a difference.
We discovered a trick during the testing of this recipe that helps with preparation. Make sure to follow our lead and move the packages of frozen spinach and phyllo from the freezer to the fridge the night before. This will defrost them. The next day, just place them on the counter an hour before preparing and you’re good to go.
SPINACH
Defrosting the spinach as described above is important, but the step of draining it is even more so. You can press the defrosted spinach through a fine sieve to render excess liquid but we also found wringing it in a clean dish towel works well too. Your spinach needs to be as dry as possible before you chop it up and sauté it up in the sauce pan.
FETA
If there’s one “splurge” ingredient in this recipe it’s the feta cheese. We suggest heading to a favourite cheese store and asking for a taste of their favourite top sellers. Ideally you’re looking for a feta with a nice level of sodium; that saltiness is important to the flavour of this spinach pie. Of course a traditional spanakopita is made using only Greek feta, but feel free to experiment with others every time you make it. We think some Bulgarian feta are equally good.
DILL & EGGS
Whisking up the eggs with the dill is an easy step, but remember to have your eggs at room temperature and use only fresh dill for the recipe. We found that room temperature eggs cook more evenly in this application and fresh dill is the fresh flavour enhancement that makes each bite so memorable.
LAYERED LOOK
In the VIDEO attached to this recipe we mention the importance of having a balanced SPINACH AND FETA PIE. This is easy to achieve simply by taking the number of phyllo sheets in the package and dividing them by two. The first half gets layered into the bottom of the baking dish before the filling is added.
The second half is gently layered on top and a balanced, layered pie is sent to oven to bake. This uniform approach ensures everything cooks evenly. It’s also an attractive presentation, too. Yes, that’s my type-A kicking in right there!
SHATTERED
One of the hallmarks of this stellar recipe is the way the phyllo dough responds to heat. It gets all gorgeously golden and the layers become more pronounced as the dish bakes. Perhaps one of the most memorable serving moments happens when you first cut into it, and the phyllo almost shatters. In the end, you’re left with a heavenly, savoury baked good that you can almost pick apart and enjoy layer by layer.
TRY PIE
Thankfully, there’s no shortage of ways to enjoy something as wonderful as this SPINACH AND FETA PIE. We suggest placing the finished dish on the counter, plates to the side, and simply let your family or friends have at it. It will disappear in no time.
2 packages (300g each) frozen spinach, thawed and drained
2 bunches green onions, roughly chopped
400g of feta cheese, crumbled
1 bunch of fresh dill, roughly chopped
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil + ⅓ cup for phyllo
8 eggs, room temperature
1 package phyllo pastry, thawed
Directions
Night before: Remove packages of frozen spinach and phyllo dough from freezer. Place them into the refrigerator to defrost overnight.
Day of: Place spinach, phyllo dough and eggs on the counter one hour before you begin.
Drain and chop spinach: Squeeze spinach in a fine sieve so that excess liquid drains away. You can also wring the spinach in a clean dish cloth to remove excess liquid. Chop drained spinach.
Heat oil in a medium-sized skillet on moderate-high temperature. When the oil is shimmering, add the onions and sauté until soft and fragrant. Add the spinach, stirring while it cooks. Cook these ingredients until the skillet goes dry.
Remove the spinach and green onions from the heat. Stir in the feta to incorporate, then set aside to cool completely.
Place eggs and chopped dill into a large measure and whisk together.
Preheat oven to 350°F with the rack in the middle position.
Using an 9 x 14-inch oven-safe baking dish, brush the bottom with a bit of oil. Add the first sheet of phyllo, tucking the edges under to create an even rectangle. Brush the top of the dough lightly with olive oil. Add a second sheet of dough in the same manner and repeat until half of the quantity of phyllo sheets are used.
Spoon the cooled spinach mixture in with the eggs and dill and stir to combine. Gently pour the mixture into the baking dish.
Add the remaining sheets of phyllo, repeating the same process as detailed above. Tuck the edges of the top layer to create a uniform and attractive look. Brush the top of the pie with oil.
Transfer to oven and bake for 55 minutes, or until the top is a rich golden colour.
Remove from oven and cool for 30 minutes before cutting into 12 or 24 squares.