Spanakopita With Puff Pastry

Spanakopita is the Greek savory spinach pie enjoyed around the world.  This spanakopita with puff pastry combines a tasty mixture of spinach, feta cheese, eggs, onions, fresh dill, and other herbs and spices in a puff pastry dough.

While traditional spanakopita is made with phyllo dough, this recipe uses puff pastry, which is more readily available.

This spanakopita would be great next to my Greek Lemon Garlic Chicken.

Greek Lemon Garlic Chicken.

Ingredients

• 3 sheets of puff pastry dough
• Flour as needed to roll out the puff pastry dough
• 4 tablespoons butter (melted), plus extra to butter a 9 x 13 inch baking dish
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup finely diced onions (about 1/2 of an onion)
• 2 pounds frozen spinach
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 3 tablespoons fresh dill weed
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried dill
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon thyme
• 1/8 teaspoon of oregano
• 16 ounces Feta cheese
• 5 medium eggs (4 eggs for the filling and 1 for an egg wash)

Directions: How to make spanakopita with puff pastry

To make the Spanakopita Filling

• Heat oil in a large pan. Add the diced onions.  Cook on low-med heat for about 5 to 6 minutes.

• Add the spinach along with the salt and cook on medium heat for about 12 or until most of the liquid is evaporated and the spinach shrinks down in volume.

• Stir in the fresh dill weed, along with the other herbs and spices.

• Turn the heat off and stir in the feta cheese.  The residual heat will start to melt the cheese and the mixture will become creamy.  Now is the time to taste test the mixture to see if it needs any more salt.  Transfer the mixture to a large bowl.  Allow the spinach mixture to come to room temperature.

• In a small bowl, beat 4 eggs until fluffy.  Stir the eggs into the spinach mixture.

At this point, you can cover and refrigerate the spinach mixture overnight and assemble your spanakopita the next day.

To assemble the Spanakopita with Puff Pastry

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Defrost the puff pastry dough.  There are 3 puff pastry rectangles per sheet.  You’ll need 4 rectangles for the bottom and 4 rectangles for the top.

• Press 4 rectangles of the puff pastry dough to fit a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.  You will need to pinch the seems together.  A little water acts like glue.  If the dough gets too soft, use a little flour.  Then use a fork or knife to pierce some air vents in the dough.  Brush half of the melted butter on the dough.

• Bake for about 10 minutes.  Set aside.  The bottom needs that extra time to bake.
• Take the dish out of the oven.  Lower the heat to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Pour the spinach feta mixture over the cooked puff pastry.

• Prepare the top layer of dough.  On a wooden board marble slab, pinch together 4 rectangles of the dough.  Again, use water and flour as needed to act as your glue.  Use a fork to pierce some air vents in the second sheet of dough.
• Cover the spinach feta mixture with the puff pastry dough.  Brush with the remaining melted butter.
• In small bowl, beat an egg with a teaspoon of water.  Brush about half of the egg wash on the top of the pie.

• Bake in the preheated oven for about 35 minutes, or until golden.

This dish is served warm or at room temperature.

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Spanakopita With Puff Pastry

Spanakopita is the Greek savory spinach pie enjoyed around the world.  This spanakopita with puff pastry combines a tasty mixture of spinach, feta cheese, eggs, onions, fresh dill, and other herbs and spices.

Course Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine Greek

Keyword Greek, Puff Pastry, Spinach

Ingredients

• 3 sheets of puff pastry dough
• Flour as needed to roll out the puff pastry dough
• 4 tablespoons butter melted, plus extra to butter a 9 x 13 inch baking dish
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup finely diced onions about 1/2 of an onion
• 2 pounds frozen spinach
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 3 tablespoons fresh dill weed
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried dill
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon thyme
• 1/8 teaspoon of oregano
• 16 ounces Feta cheese
• 5 medium eggs

Instructions

To make the Spanakopita Filling

1. Heat oil in a large pan. Add the diced onions.  Cook on low-med heat for about 5 to 6 minutes.
2. Add the spinach along with the salt and cook on medium heat for about 12 or until most of the liquid is evaporated and the spinach shrinks down in volume.
3. Stir in the fresh dill weed, along with the other herbs and spices.
4. Turn the heat off and stir in the feta cheese.  The residual heat will start to melt the cheese and the mixture will become creamy.  Now is the time to taste test the mixture to see if it needs any more salt.  Transfer the mixture to a large bowl.  Allow the spinach mixture to come to room temperature.
5. In a small bowl, beat 4 eggs until fluffy.  Stir the eggs into the spinach mixture.

To assemble the Spanakopita with Puff Pastry

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Defrost the puff pastry dough.  There are 3 puff pastry rectangles per sheet.  You'll need 4 rectangles for the bottom and 4 rectangles for the top.
3. Press 4 rectangles of the puff pastry dough to fit a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.  You will need to pinch the seems together.  A little water acts like glue.  If the dough gets too soft, use a little flour.  Then use a fork or knife to pierce some air vents in the dough.  Brush half of the melted butter on the dough.
4. Bake for about 10 minutes.  Set aside.  The bottom needs that extra time to bake.
5. Take the dish out of the oven.  Lower the heat to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
6. Pour the spinach feta mixture over the cooked puff pastry.
7. Prepare the top layer of dough.  On a wooden board marble slab, pinch together 4 rectangles of the dough.  Again, use water and flour as needed to act as your glue.  Use a fork to pierce some air vents in the second sheet of dough.
8. Cover the spinach feta mixture with the puff pastry dough.  Brush with the remaining melted butter.
9. In small bowl, beat an egg with a teaspoon of water.  Brush about half of the egg wash on the top of the pie.
10. Bake in the preheated oven for about 35 minutes, or until golden.

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