Spanakopita (Phyllo Pie with Spinach and Feta)
By America's Test KitchenPublished on August 10, 2009
Yield
Serves 6 to 8 as a main course
Ingredients
Filling
1 pound feta cheese, crumbled into fine pieces (about 4 cups)12 ounces whole-milk ricotta (about 1 ½ cups)4 large eggs, lightly beaten1 bunch scallions, sliced thin⅓ cup minced fresh dill leaves3 tablespoons juice from 1 lemon2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg ¾ teaspoon salt ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper 3 (10-ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dryPhyllo Layers
¾ cup olive oil or clarified butter½ pound phyllo (14 by 9-inch), thawed (see note)1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (about ½ cup)Before You Begin
Make sure that the phyllo is fully thawed before use; don't thaw it in the microwave, but let it sit in the refrigerator overnight or on the countertop for four to five hours. Clarified butter can be used instead of olive oil.
Instructions
- Mix the feta, ricotta, eggs, scallions, dill, lemon juice, garlic, nutmeg, salt, and pepper together in a large bowl. Stir in the spinach until uniform. (The filling can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 24 hours.)
- Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 400 degrees. Brush a 13 by 9-inch baking dish liberally with oil. Following the illustrations below, lay 1 phyllo sheet in the bottom of the prepared dish, and brush thoroughly with oil. Repeat with 7 more phyllo sheets, brushing each with oil. Spread half of the spinach mixture evenly into the dish. Cover with 4 more phyllo sheets, brushing each with oil.
- Spread the remaining spinach mixture evenly into the dish. Cover with 7 more phyllo sheets, brushing each with oil and sprinkling each with about 1 tablespoon of Parmesan. Lay the final sheet of phyllo over the top and brush with oil (do not sprinkle the final layer with Parmesan).
- Working from the center outward, use the palms of your hands to compress the layers and press out any air pockets. Using a sharp knife, lightly score the pie into serving squares but do not cut through more than the top 3 sheets of phyllo. Bake until the phyllo is golden and crisp, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes or up to 2 hours before serving. (The pie can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 4 days. Leftovers are best at room temperature or reheated in a 350-degree oven until crisp and heated through, about 25 minutes.)
for the filling
for the phyllo layers
Yield
Serves 6 to 8 as a main courseIngredients
Filling
1 pound feta cheese, crumbled into fine pieces (about 4 cups)
12 ounces whole-milk ricotta (about 1 ½ cups)
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 bunch scallions, sliced thin
⅓ cup minced fresh dill leaves
3 tablespoons juice from 1 lemon
2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
¾ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
3 (10-ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
Phyllo Layers
¾ cup olive oil or clarified butter
½ pound phyllo (14 by 9-inch), thawed (see note)
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (about ½ cup)
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Filling
1 pound feta cheese, crumbled into fine pieces (about 4 cups)
12 ounces whole-milk ricotta (about 1 ½ cups)
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 bunch scallions, sliced thin
⅓ cup minced fresh dill leaves
3 tablespoons juice from 1 lemon
2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
¾ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
3 (10-ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
Phyllo Layers
¾ cup olive oil or clarified butter
½ pound phyllo (14 by 9-inch), thawed (see note)
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (about ½ cup)
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Filling
1 pound feta cheese, crumbled into fine pieces (about 4 cups)
12 ounces whole-milk ricotta (about 1 ½ cups)
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 bunch scallions, sliced thin
⅓ cup minced fresh dill leaves
3 tablespoons juice from 1 lemon
2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
¾ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
3 (10-ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
Phyllo Layers
¾ cup olive oil or clarified butter
½ pound phyllo (14 by 9-inch), thawed (see note)
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (about ½ cup)
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
We tested both fresh and frozen spinach for our spanokopita recipe and, much to our surprise, we liked frozen spinach as much as fresh. We liked the texture and flavor of the filling with four eggs; we crumbled the feta cheese into the eggs to ensure even distribution. But we thought the filling lacked creaminess—ricotta cheese, an ingredient in some recipes we encountered, was the remedy. To assemble the spanokopita recipe, we started with eight sheets of phyllo, followed by half of the spinach filling, four more phyllo sheets, the rest of the filling, and eight more phyllo sheets. This configuration yielded a statuesque spanakopita that held together nicely when cut.
Before You Begin
Make sure that the phyllo is fully thawed before use; don't thaw it in the microwave, but let it sit in the refrigerator overnight or on the countertop for four to five hours. Clarified butter can be used instead of olive oil.
Instructions
- Mix the feta, ricotta, eggs, scallions, dill, lemon juice, garlic, nutmeg, salt, and pepper together in a large bowl. Stir in the spinach until uniform. (The filling can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 24 hours.)
- Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 400 degrees. Brush a 13 by 9-inch baking dish liberally with oil. Following the illustrations below, lay 1 phyllo sheet in the bottom of the prepared dish, and brush thoroughly with oil. Repeat with 7 more phyllo sheets, brushing each with oil. Spread half of the spinach mixture evenly into the dish. Cover with 4 more phyllo sheets, brushing each with oil.
- Spread the remaining spinach mixture evenly into the dish. Cover with 7 more phyllo sheets, brushing each with oil and sprinkling each with about 1 tablespoon of Parmesan. Lay the final sheet of phyllo over the top and brush with oil (do not sprinkle the final layer with Parmesan).
- Working from the center outward, use the palms of your hands to compress the layers and press out any air pockets. Using a sharp knife, lightly score the pie into serving squares but do not cut through more than the top 3 sheets of phyllo. Bake until the phyllo is golden and crisp, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes or up to 2 hours before serving. (The pie can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 4 days. Leftovers are best at room temperature or reheated in a 350-degree oven until crisp and heated through, about 25 minutes.)
for the filling
for the phyllo layers
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