I can’t imagine a family gathering (at least among the Greek side of my family) without Spanakopita, or Spinach Pie as it’s more commonly referred to among Americans.  A savory Greek pastry made with spinach, feta, phyllo, and a few other delicious things, this traditional staple among those with any Greek heritage can be found on every menu containing mediterranean cuisine.  As a student at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, I remember regular cravings for a piece of Spanakopita on many cold winter days.  On occasion, I would treat myself to a break from my cheap and fast Taco Bell routine and wander into Rendez Vous Cafe on South University.  They make a fantastic Spanakopita and also have the best Lentil soup I’ve ever tasted in my life.  It warmed me up for the long trek across the U of M campus in the cold and at the same time, gave me a little taste of home.

As a child, I would never eat Spanakopita.  What kid voluntarily eats spinach?  It was one of those foods that I always wanted to like though.  I don’t think I’m alone when I say that there were certain foods that I wanted to like either because people I admired ate them all the time or because no one else liked them and I wanted to be original.  I bet if you think about it long enough, you could think of an example.  My fiancé, Kevin, feels this way about coffee.  He loves the smell of it but no matter how many times I make him try mine, he just can’t come to like it.  Spanakopita and green beans were those things for me when I was a kid but as I’ve grown older, I have come to love both of them.

I first learned how to make Spanakopita from watching my sister, Angela, in her kitchen.  She would whip it up with ease as if she was on autopilot.  I would take mental notes of her ingredients and eventually began to make it on my own.  Over the years, I have developed my own recipe; taking bits and pieces from different recipes I’ve tried in the past.  The phyllo dough in this recipe is prepared similarly to that of Baklava except that instead of alternating the phyllo dough and filling like you do in Baklava, you place all the spinach filling in the center between a bottom layer of 1/2 lb of phyllo (approximately 8 sheets) and a top layer of 1/2 lb of phyllo (approximately 8 sheets), buttering between each layer.  This process is slightly less labor intensive than Baklava unless you decide to make individual Spanakopita Triangles.  These are fun to make but take a little more time and effort.  This involves cutting your phyllo dough into strips, placing a small portion of the filling at one end and folding your dough up into a triangle shape, back and forth while buttering each folded layer.  The triangles are easy to freeze and can be thawed quickly for individual servings.  Spanakopita can be eaten warm, cold or at room temperature but I think it’s best at room temperature.  If you love spinach and feta, I encourage you to give Spanakopita a try.

Spanakopita: Photographs by Andrea Karapas

Andrea’s Spanakopita (Spinach Pie)
15 oz fresh baby spinach (chopped)
1 lb Feta cheese (crumbled)
1/4 c freshly grated Romano cheese
5 eggs (slightly beaten)
1/2 tsp coarse salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 med yellow onion (chopped and sauted in olive oil)
1/4 c olive oil
1/2 c parsley (finely chopped)
dash nutmeg
3 cloves garlic (minced or finely chopped)
1 lb Phyllo dough
1/2 lb unsalted butter
Combine first 11 ingredients in large mixing bowl. Melt butter in medium sauce pan over low heat.  Brush bottom of 14″x20″ pan with melted butter.  Lay 1 sheet of Phyllo dough in bottom of pan and brush with melted butter.  Repeat this process until you use 1/2 lb of Phyllo dough (approximately 8 sheets) buttering generously between each layer.  Spread spinach filling over Phyllo dough.  Top filling with 1 sheet of Phyllo dough and brush with melted butter.  Repeat this process until you use the remaining sheets of Phyllo dough (approximately 8 sheets).  Cut into squares using sharp knife.  Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 45-50 minutes.  Serve warm or cool to room temperature before serving.