I love spinach and pastry so for me Spanakopita is a perfect dish. If I make it a weekday night then I’ll resort to using ready-made puff pastry, as I don’t like to take the time to layer filo pastry.
To make it you’ll need:
500g frozen leaf spinach or 1.5kg fresh spinach
1 white onion finely chopped
5 tbsp finely chopped parsley
5 tbsp finely chopped dill
1 packet of feta cheese
1 packet of ricotta cheese
3 eggs
And some optional spices – I use some fennel seeds, cumin seeds and freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
Ready-rolled puff pastry
Pre-heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4.
If using frozen spinach, heat it up in a pan with a dash of water and let it slowly defrost. Takes about 10 minutes. If using fresh spinach, rinse it and place in a large pan over medium heat until wilted. Pour the spinach into a colander and squeeze out any excess water and set aside until cool.
Pour some olive oil into a pan and add the fennel and cumin seeds if using, and let them fry for 30 seconds before adding the finely chopped onion. Cook until soft and translucent. Add the onion into a mixing bowl and take the wilted spinach and roughly chop it before adding it to the onion in the mixing bowl.
Add the chopped parsley, dill, feta, ricotta and nutmeg (if using). Pour in the eggs (saving a little to brush the pastry with) and mix again.
Add the spinach mixture to a oven proof dish and cover with the puff pastry and brush it with the egg wash. Bake for 30-40 minutes until golden.