Spanakopita is a Greek pie made of spinach and cheese. It is often eaten as a snack in Greece, but it is a perfect appetizer or side dish for parties and small gatherings too.

If you cannot find Greek feta, you may also use ricotta cheese. Parsley may also be used as a substitute for dill.

 

Serves 8

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 brown onions, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, crushed

600g baby spinach, washed, dried and trimmed

1/4 cup dill leaves, chopped

900g Greek feta cheese, grated

1 teaspoon black pepper

6 eggs, lightly beaten

375g packet filo pastry, chilled and not frozen

100g butter, melted

 

Preheat oven at 200C and lightly grease a 30cmx38cm baking dish with butter.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Sauté the onions and garlic for 3-5 minutes until they are light brown and the onions are translucent. Add the spinach and dill. Cook for 2 minutes and then cover the pan for a few minutes until the spinach wilts.

After, place the spinach on a sieve. Press the spinach down using a wooden spoon to drain the excess liquid. Once it is dry enough, transfer it to a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs, feta cheese and the pepper. Mix well. Season it with salt and pepper to taste.

Place a pastry sheet on a flat surface and brush it with melted butter. Top it with another layer of filo pastry. Again, brush it with melted butter. Repeat this until you form 10 layers or half of the pack of the filo pastry.

Put the buttered pastry layers at the bottom of the baking dish and then spoon the spinach and cheese mixture over the pastry. Smoothen it using a spatula.

Butter the remaining pastry the way you did earlier, brushing every other pastry. Place the filo pastry layers over the spinach filling. Next, get a sharp knife and then score the top layer of the pastry into 24 squares. Brush it with butter.

Bake the spanakopita for40-50 minutes until it is crisp and golden brown. Remove from oven and let it cool completely. Cover and refrigerate it for 4 hours up to overnight.

Slice the spanakopita into squares before serving. Serve warm or cold. If you want to reheat them, just preheat them in the oven for 10-15 minutes until they are heated through.

 

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