Spanakopita Recipe (Greek Spinach Pie)

• servings: 12 serving(s)
• total time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 large sweet onion (diced)

6 large cloves garlic (minced)

16 ounces frozen spinach (thawed and drained well (see Notes))

1 bunch parsley (minced)

1 bunch scallion (green and white parts, thinly sliced)

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons minced fresh dill (or 1/2 tablespoon dried dill)

12 ounces feta cheese (crumbled)

3 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or more to taste)

16 sheets phyllo dough (approximately 9 by 14-inches)

2/3 cup salted butter (melted)

Directions

For the Spinach Filling:

Add the oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion and cook until softened, but not browned, about 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the garlic and cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Transfer to a bowl and cool until lukewarm, about 10 minutes.

Add the onion/garlic mixture, spinach, parsley, scallion, lemon juice, dill, feta, eggs, black pepper, salt, and crushed red pepper flakes to a large bowl. Stir to combine.

To Assemble the Spanakopita:

Brush the bottom and sides of a 9 by 13-inch casserole dish with melted butter.

Generously brush 1 sheet of phyllo dough with butter and place it into the greased casserole dish. Repeat this process with 7 more sheets of phyllo dough so you have a total of 8 buttered sheets in the dish.

Spread the spinach filling out evenly onto the phyllo dough in the dish.

Generously brush 1 sheet of phyllo dough with butter and place it on top of the spinach filling inside the casserole dish. Repeat this process with 7 more sheets of phyllo dough so you have a total of 8 buttered sheets on top.

Gently tuck the dough along the outside down. Make sure the top layer of dough is brushed with butter.

If you want to score the top of the spinach pie, use a sharp paring knife to do it now (see Notes).

To Bake:

Preheat the oven to 375F. Bake until the Spanakopita is golden and crisp, about 35 to 40 minutes.

Let it cool for about 15 minutes so the filling can set before slicing and serving.