Spanakopita

Total Time: 30 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs spinach, tough stems removed, coarsely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups crumbled feta cheese
• 1/2 cup grated kefalotyri or 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese or 1/2 cup grated pecorino cheese
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• salt
• fresh ground pepper
• 1/2 lb phyllo dough, thawed if frozen (20 sheets)
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Recipe

• 1 heat a large fry pan over medium-high heat.
• 2 add the spinach with only the rinsing water clinging to the leaves, cover and cook until wilted, about 1 minute.
• 3 drain well on paper towels, then squeeze out as much of the remaining liquid as possible.
• 4 place in a large bowl and add the feta cheese, kefalotiri cheese, eggs, mint, and nutmeg.
• 5 stir well to combine.
• 6 season with salt and pepper.
• 7 preheat an oven to 375°f.
• 8 lightly butter a baking sheet.
• 9 cut the stack of phyllo sheets lengthwise into 3 equal strips.
• 10 remove 1 strip and cover the remaining phyllo with a slightly dampened kitchen towel to prevent it from drying out.
• 11 place the strip on a work surface and brush lightly with melted butter.
• 12 place another strip on top.
• 13 brush the second strip lightly with melted butter.
• 14 place a heaping teaspoonful of the filling about 1 inch in from the bottom of the strip.
• 15 fold the uncovered end over the filling on the diagonal to form a triangular shape.
• 16 bring the bottom of the triangle up against the straight edge.
• 17 continue folding in this manner until the tip of the strip is reached, forming a triangular pastry.
• 18 brush lightly with melted butter.
• 19 place on the prepared baking sheet.
• 20 repeat with the remaining phyllo and filling.
• 21 bake until golden, about 15 minutes.
• 22 remove from the oven and transfer to a platter.
• 23 serve immediately, warm or at room temperature.