Spanakopita

Serve these as an appetizer or as a main course with a tossed salad. If you like, you can add a piece of cooked chicken, lobster, or crabmeat into each triangle.

INGREDIENTS | SERVES 10

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 8 green onions, white and 1 inch of green parts diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 pounds fresh baby spinach, trimmed, washed, and roughly chopped
  • 1 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 12 ounces crumbled feta
  • 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, toasted and ground
  • ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • ½ pound unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 pound package of phyllo pastry sheets
  • ¼ cup fresh oregano, finely chopped
  • ¼ cup fresh chives, finely chopped
  • ½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
  1. Add the oil and yellow and green onions to a large microwave-safe bowl; cover and microwave on high for 1 minute. Stir and microwave for 1 more minute, or until the onions are transparent.

  2. Stir in the garlic and spinach; cover and microwave on high for 2 minutes. Set aside to cool, and then stir in the lemon juice, eggs, feta, coriander, and nutmeg.

  3. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

  4. Brush 2 baking sheets with some of the melted butter. Unroll the phyllo dough; prevent the dough from drying out and becoming brittle by keeping it covered with a damp towel until you are ready to work with it.

  5. Lay out a piece of the dough flat on a work surface; brush it with melted butter, then evenly spread some oregano and chives over it. Repeat the butter and herb step with 2 more sheets of phyllo, stacking them on top of each other. Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut the sheets lengthwise into thirds to form 2 ½" strips. Repeat with all the remaining sheets of dough.

  6. Put 1 heaping teaspoon of the spinach filling near 1 corner of each layered phyllo strip. Fold the end at an angle over the filling to form a triangle and continue to fold along the strip until you reach the end, in a manner similar to folding up a flag. Brush the top of the resulting triangle packet with butter and dust with Parmigiano-Reggiano.

  7. Place each triangle on one of the prepared baking sheets; cover while preparing the remaining pastries. Repeat until all the filling and phyllo strips are used up. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until crisp and golden. Serve hot, warm, or cold.

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