Spanakopita

La storia di questo piatto

In Greece, spanakopita is the pie of the family table and the village bakery, where spinach, feta and herbs are wrapped in paper-thin pastry. It tastes of green fields, brine and summer dill, a humble dish that has always known how to feel like a celebration.

Ingredienti

• 600 g Fresh spinach
• 250 g Crumbled feta
• 10 sheets Filo pastry
• 100 g Melted butter
• 1 medium White onion
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 2 pieces Eggs
• 20 g Fresh dill
• 15 g Fresh parsley
• 1 pinch Nutmeg (optional)
• 1 pinch Black pepper
• 1 pinch Salt
• 3 tablespoons Olive oil

Preparazione

1. Remove the tougher spinach stems and wash the leaves in several changes of cold water, until the drained water runs clear and no sand remains. Place them still wet in a wide pan, without oil, over medium heat. Stir until they wilt and the water evaporates, about 4-5 minutes. Transfer to a colander, let them cool for a few minutes and squeeze firmly with your hands: they must be dry. Chop them coarsely and place them in a large bowl.
2. Finely chop the onion and garlic. In a pan with the 3 tablespoons of oil, over medium heat, cook them stirring for 3-4 minutes, until the onion is translucent and lightly golden. Do not let them darken. Pour the sautéed mixture into the bowl with the spinach and let it cool for 10 minutes.
3. Off the heat, finely chop the dill and parsley and add them to the cooled spinach. Add the crumbled feta, mixing gently: the pieces should remain visible.
4. Lightly beat the eggs with a fork and add them to the filling in the same bowl, together with the pepper, a pinch of salt and, if you like, a very small amount of nutmeg (it is not traditional: you may omit it). Taste before salting: the feta is already salty. Mix until the mixture is uniform.
5. Preheat the oven to 190°C. Melt the butter over low heat and divide it in two: one half for the base and lower layers, one half for the upper layers and the surface. Brush a baking dish of about 25x30 cm with a little butter. Keep the filo sheets covered with a damp tea towel while you work, as they dry out quickly. Lay the first sheet in the dish, letting the edges overhang, and brush it with butter. Repeat with 4 more sheets, brushing each layer (5 base sheets in total).
6. Pour the filling onto the filo base and level it evenly with a spatula.
7. Cover with the other 5 filo sheets, one at a time, brushing each sheet with the remaining butter and reserving a little for the surface. Fold the overhanging edges inward, sealing the filling, and brush the edges with butter as well.
8. With a sharp knife, score only the upper layers of pastry, down to the filling, drawing lines every 5-6 cm in both directions to mark the portions. Brush the surface with the remaining butter. This step completes the preparation (about 45 minutes): baking and resting remain.
9. Baking: bake in the centre of the oven at 190°C for 35-40 minutes, checking after 25 minutes. The surface should be deep golden and crisp; if it darkens too much, cover with aluminium foil. Resting: remove from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving, so the pieces separate cleanly along the cuts. Total recipe time: about 90 minutes (45 preparation, 35-40 baking, 10 resting).