Italian Spinach Pies

Submitted by Secret Agent

"This is my favorite snack! I love spinach and I love all the variations on this recipe. I remember making these with my great-grandmother, grandmother and mother every time a special occasion rolled around. We ate them hot, cold, or room temperature. The trick is to get the spinach as dry as possible! You will love these if you love spinach."

 

• Ready In: 1hr 11mins
• Ingredients: 7
• Yields: 8 pies
• Serves: 8

ingredients

• 1 recipe italian bread dough, 2 lbs. (or pizza dough but bread works better in this recipe)
• 2 lbs frozen spinach, chopped, defrosted and squeezed dry
• 1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
• 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes (or more) (optional)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter, unsalted

directions

1. Heat oil and butter up in a 12 inch skillet and add the garlic. Saute for a minute and then add pepper flakes and saute for another minute.Add the spinach and heat it through and taste and season with salt and black pepper.
2. Separate dough into 8 portions and let rise until doubled, punch down and rest for 10 minutes. Roll each portion into a circle - not too thin that it tears. Fill one side with cooled spinach mixture, fold dough over and crimp the edge. Let rest while you pre-heat the oven to 375.
3. Bake for 20 minutes or until crust looks done.
4. Before baking you can mark the pies with letter H using a fork to distinguish the pies with hot pepper flakes from the plain.
5. It's really simple. I think the more simple the better although I have added dried tomatoes and other things. Hope you try this.