Spanakopita (Spinach Pie)

It’s a long recipe but very worth it in the end. This dish is how I first started liking spinach. I tasted it at a friend’s house and Maxine started making it once in a while after she found out I liked spinach.

Makes 30 Pieces

Ingredients:

4 10-oz. boxes frozen spinach
2 T butter plus 1¼ cup melted
¼ cup olive oil
1 bunch scallions, chopped fine
1 large yellow onion, chopped fine
½ cup fresh dill, chopped fine
1/3 bunch fresh parsley, chopped fine
1 lb. creamed cottage cheese
1½ lbs. feta cheese
8 large eggs
1 lb. prepared phyllo dough
¼ cup grated romano cheese
½ t salt

What to do?

Cook thawed spinach in boiling salt water for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and press out the liquid. In a small frying pan, melt 2 T butter with ¼ cup olive oil and add scallions, yellow onion, dill and parsley and sauté until golden brown. In a large mixing bowl, combine crumbled feta and cottage cheese, drained spinach, onion mixture and 8 slightly beaten eggs. Mix well.
Melt remaining butter in a small saucepan. With a pastry brush, butter a 17 by 11½ by 2¼ inch baking pan. Place 1 phyllo sheet in pan and allow the phyllo to overlap sides of the pan. Add another sheet and using pastry brush, brush lightly each phyllo sheet with melted butter. Repeat procedure until there are 12 layers of buttered phyllo sheets on the bottom of the pan. Pout spinach/cheese mixture slowly over phyllo sheets in pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle grated cheese and ½ t salt over spinach. Repeat procedure for brushing each phyllo sheet until the remaining phyllo sheets (about 12 sheets) have all been used. Top phyllo sheet should be brushed heavily with butter to assure golden brown color. With a sharp knife gently cut through the layers of the phyllo, making 6 lengthwise cuts. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour. Let cool for 2 minutes, then cut into diamond shaped pieces.