Spanakopita

Ingredients

• 2 pounds fresh spinach, washed and roughly chopped (or 2 (10-ounce) boxes frozen chopped spinach, thawed)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large leek, white and light green parts, finely chopped
• 4 scallions, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup fresh dill, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 12 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1 (16-ounce) package phyllo dough, thawed according to package directions
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Instructions

1. If using fresh spinach, wilt it in batches in a large dry pot over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes per batch, just until it collapses, then let cool and squeeze out as much liquid as possible with a clean kitchen towel; if using frozen, squeeze it thoroughly dry the same way.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and cook the chopped leek and scallions for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.
3. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant, then remove from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
4. In a large bowl, combine the squeezed spinach, cooked leek mixture, dill, parsley, feta, ricotta, beaten eggs, nutmeg, black pepper, and salt, and mix well until evenly combined; taste (the raw egg aside) and adjust seasoning, keeping in mind feta is quite salty.
5. Preheat the oven to 375 F and brush a 9x13-inch baking dish generously with melted butter.
6. Unroll the phyllo dough and cover it with a slightly damp kitchen towel to prevent it from drying out and cracking while you work.
7. Lay one sheet of phyllo in the bottom of the baking dish, letting the excess hang over the edge, and brush lightly with melted butter; repeat with 7 more sheets, brushing each with butter and rotating the direction slightly so the overhang is even around the dish.
8. Spread the spinach and feta filling evenly over the phyllo base.
9. Layer 8 more sheets of phyllo over the filling, brushing each one with melted butter as you go.
10. Fold the overhanging edges of the bottom phyllo layers up and over the top, then trim and tuck the top sheets neatly around the edges of the dish to seal.
11. Using a sharp knife, score the top layers of phyllo into 8 portions, cutting only about halfway through the depth of the pastry to make serving easier later.
12. Brush the top generously with any remaining melted butter and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until deeply golden brown and crisp on top.
13. Let the spanakopita cool for 15 minutes before cutting all the way through the scored lines and serving.

Nutrition

Calories	380
Protein	14 g
Fat	26 g
Carbs	24 g
Fiber	3 g
Sodium	680 mg

Estimated per serving