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Today Sylvester, Jake, Sophia, Chiarina & Nicky make an apetizer Sylvester is well known for, — Sylvester’s famous Spanakopita (Spinach-Pie.)

Spanakopita Modern Greek: σπανακόπιτα, from σπανάκι, spanáki, spinach, and πίττα, pítta, pie) is a Greek savoury pastry in the burek family with a filling of chopped spinach, feta cheese (sometimes in combination with ricotta cheese, as it is less expensive), green onions, egg, and seasoning. The filling is wrapped in layers of phyllo (filo) pastry with butter and/or olive oil, either in a large pan from which individual servings are cut, or rolled into individual triangular servings (see burek). Spanakopita is golden in color when baked, the color often enhanced by butter and egg yolk. Other white, fresh, preferably salted cheeses may also mixed with, or substituted for, the feta cheese.

It is mostly eaten as a snack in Greece, and it can be an alternative to tyropita. There is a “fasting”, or vegan, version of spanakopita, eaten during the Great Lent and other religious fasts, and comprising of spinach, onions or green onions, other green herbs like dill, parsley or celery, olive oil and a little wheat flour, but without eggs or dairy products; the mixture is oven-baked until crisp.

Ingredients:

• 1 package phyllo dough
• 4 packages frozen spinach
• 2 bunches scallions, tender parts chopped fine
• 3/4 cup finely chopped dill
• 1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
• 1 small bunch escarole, green parts finely chopped
• 1 1/4 lb crumbled feta
• 4 oz ricotta
• 1/3 cup Parmesan
• 1 1/2 sticks sweet butter (or olive oil)
• 4 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 4 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper

Cooking Time:

(1 hour + 45 minutes ) One hours and forty-five minutes..

Food Prep

• Defrost spinach and squeeze against strainer to remove as much water as possible.
• Finely chop scallions
• Finely chop dill
• Finely chop parsely
• Finely chop escarole
• You will need a brush to spread the butter on the phyllo so go find one…

Step 1: Make the Spinach & Cheese filling

1. In large frying pan, saute scallions over medium heat 3 or 4 minutes. Add escarole and cook for 1.5 minutes, then add spinach, breaking apart any lumps. Mix and cook for 2 minutes more. Add salt, pepper. Mix and remove from heat.
2. Prepare the cheese mixture: In a large bowl mix feta, ricotta and Parmesan. Then add eggs. Mix. Add the spinach mixture to the cheese mixture and mix well.

Step 2: Make Spinach Pie

1. Melt butter. Keep phyllo at room temperature. Using a pastry brush, cover a cookie sheet (jelly roll pan with edges all around) with butter. Place single sheet of phyllo over buttered cookie sheet. Butter the phyllo all over (with brush) and place a second sheet atop the first. Repeat until you have 10 layers (each with butter between them).
2. Pour the spinach/cheese mixture over evenly and spread to smooth. But save about 10% for Triangles.
3. Place one sheet phyllo over spinach mixture and butter it with brush. Continue until you have 10 more layers of phyllo/butter. Cut excess phyllo dough around the edges with a small sharp knife, leaving about 1/4″. Tuck the 1/4″ overhang in around the edges (this will hold the pie together).
4. Cook in 350 deg. preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until the top is light brown.
5. Let the pie sit a bit before cutting. This will set it and it won’t break up when you cut it.

Step 3: Make Spinach Triangles

1. Use left over Spinach &  Cheese Mixture and phyllo to make triangles.
2. Take sheets of phyllo and cut into four equal widths lengthwise.
3. Take one strip and butter it, then lay another strip on top and butter it as well.
4. Put about (1) tablespoon of Spinach &  Cheese Mixture at top of strips and start to fold inward and repeat until a fully wrapped triangle is made.
5. Butter the outside of the triangle and then place on a cookie sheet for baking.
6. Cook in 350 deg. preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until the top is light brown.
7. Let the triangles sit a bit before eatting. This will set it and it won’t break up when you cut it.

Storage:

Both the Pies and Triangles freezes very well and will last about a week in the refrigerator.

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