Spanakopitakia (Little Spinach Pies)
- Ready In:
- 1hr 25mins
- Ingredients:
- 12
- Yields:
-
1 yield
ingredients
- 1⁄2 cup olive oil
- 2 lbs spinach, washed and drained
- 1 bunch scallion, white and green parts, thinly sliced
- 1 cup onion, finely chopped
- 1⁄3 cup finely chopped fresh dill
- salt & freshly ground black pepper
- 1⁄2 lb feta cheese, crumbled
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 lb phyllo pastry sheet
- 3⁄4 cup melted butter, for brushing tops before baking
- 1 small onion, minced
directions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large pan, add half of the spinach and saute until spinach wilts, tossing, about 2 minutes.
- Remove spinach and squeeze out excess liquid, then chop roughly.
- Repeat with remaining spinach, using 1 more tablespoon of olive oil.
- Pour off any liquid from the pan, and add remaining olive oil.
- Add scallions and onion and saute until soft, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the spinach to the scallions and onions, along with the dill, salt and pepper.
- Cook over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes, then remove from heat to cool. (This part can be done ahead and kept refrigerated).
- Stir the feta and beaten eggs into the cooled spinach mixture.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Brush a baking sheet with some of the melted butter.
- Unroll the phyllo dough on a flat surface and keep it covered with waxed paper and a damp towel so it doesn't dry out and become brittle.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the phyllo into 3 by 11 inch strips, and recover with the towel.
- One by one, use a pastry brush to brush a strip of phyllo with melted butter.
- Place a small spoonful of spinach filling 1 inch from the end of the pastry.
- Fold the end over the filling to form a triangle, then continue to fold up the strip in triangles, like folding up a flag.
- Continue with remaining strips of dough, placing filled triangles on the baking sheet and keeping them covered with a towel until all are ready to bake.
- Brush the triangles lightly with butter, then bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden and crisp.
- Serve hot.
- (These may be frozen before baking, layering waxed paper between layers of triangles to keep them from sticking. Bake frozen triangles an extra 10 minutes.).
- Variation: Butter a 9 by 13 inch baking pan and spread 8 sheets of phyllo, brushing each with butter, on the bottom, staggering the edges around the pan.
- Spoon the spinach filling over the phyllo, then cover with 8 more sheets of phyllo, buttering each sheet.
- Score the top 3 sheets with a sharp knife. Careful not to cut all the way through.
- Bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until top is deep-golden, let stand 15 minutes, then cut into squares and serve warm or at room temperature.
- Note: All or part of the butter can be replaced in this recipe with olive oil.
Questions & Replies
Got a question?
Share it with the community!
Reviews
-
These were fabulous! I was in a hurry so I used 2 pkgs of frozen chopped spinach (thawed and squeezed dry) instead of fresh. I don't think the change made a huge difference in the taste. They are a little time consuming to make, but definitely worth the effort. Your guests will love you for it. I love the fact that I can freeze them and pop them out at a moments notice. Do yourself a favor and try this recipe. Thank you Evelyn.
see 2 more reviews
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
<style>body { background: url("http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3639/3512121819_f2f1aaf050.jpg?v=0"); background-repeat: repeat-y; }</style>
OK, here goes. I live in Athens, Greece. I moved out here many, many years ago from Ottawa, Canada - so I am blessed in having two wonderful heritages!
I suffer from compulsive obsessive behaviour with regard to food and my psychiatrist thought it would be a good idea to find a 'society' where many have the same problem and try to find a cure.
So far, I've copied a couple of thousand recipes from this site and my psychiatrist has thrown the towel in and refuses to answer the phone when I call.
What did I do wrong?
Got 3 kids that keep me on the go - 10 and under at this point (2008) - I may not get round to updating this for a few years, so you'll have to do your own maths.
I teach English full-time and Greek Cookery part-time. I would like to make the cooking part of it full-time and the English Grammar part of it part-time.
That's all for now.