Spinach and Feta Pie (Spanakopita)

Make sure that the spinach is cleaned and washed thoroughly. Remove any thick stems.

Bring a pot of water to a boil and add spinach. Blanch for 2-3 minutes, then carefully drain. Transfer spinach to a large bowl, filled with ice-cold water. Let it cool for 2 minutes. Drain again then squeeze as much water out of it as you can. Roughly chop.

In a large bowl combine spinach, scallions, parsley, dill, black pepper, eggs and feta cheese. Mix well. Add salt if needed.

Preheat oven to 350 F (190 C). Brush a 13×9 inch (33×23 cm) baking dish with butter or olive oil.

Brush a sheet of phyllo with butter or olive oil and place it in the baking dish, allowing it to hang over the edges. Add 4 more sheets, brushing each one with butter or olive oil and placing them at different angles to thoroughly cover the bottom of the dish.

Spoon spinach feta filling into the phyllo “crust”, then top with 2 of the remaining 3 phyllo sheets (brushing each one with butter/olive oil). Fold the over hanging phyllo pastry over the top sheets to close. Brush top with butter/olive oil. Brush the last pastry sheet with butter/olive oil and scrunch it on top of the spinach feta pie. Brush top with olive oil again.

Optional : Sprinkle the top with 1 tablespoon of cold water, to prevent edges of the pie from curling. Bake for 40 minutes, until golden. Remove from oven.

Allow the pie to cool for about 15 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature. Any leftovers could be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.