My Grandma isn't Greek, but she was an adventurous cook for her time, and her Spanakopita was always one of my favorite dishes. Grandma used cottage cheese, butter and very subtle spices, and the result was lovely. This is my version. I am really interested in Mediterranean cuisine, and I have adjusted the ingredients with those flavors in mind.
1 box phyllo (filo) pastry thawed in the refrigerator according to package directions.
½ cup or so of olive oil in a small bowl (grandma used butter here-you can do a combo if you'd like)
1 cup ricotta
1 chunk plain feta (8 oz.)
1 bag frozen spinach (14 oz.)
1egg, lightly
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp aleppo or other red pepper
I also add ½ tsp of Penzy's Turkish Seasoning blend which includes garlic, cumin, and sumac berries. This isn't necessary, but I am addicted to the stuff!
Thaw and drain the spinach, then squeeze out excess water. I press it against my strainer with my knuckles to get all of the liquid out. Lightly chop the spinach, and then toss it into a large bowl. Add the feta and crumble it into fine chunks with a fork. Add the ricotta and the egg. You want the mixture to be moist, but not runny. Add the spices. Blend well and set aside.
Clear a surface to make a space to fold up the spanakopita. You need at least about 1 ½ by 1 ½ feet to work in. With a pastry brush or a folded up paper towel wipe down the surface with a thin layer of oil. Take out a large sheet pan and have it ready. Wet a clean dish towel with water, and wring it out thoroughly. (It should be damp, not wet.) Once you have everything in place you can open the phylo package. Unroll the roll of phylo sheets and place one sheet on your oiled surface. You want the long edge of the rectangle to be horizontal. Put the damp cloth immediately on the remaining sheets. Brush the sheet thoroughly with oil especially at the edges. Place another sheet on top, and oil it the same way, and then a third. You can layer 4 or more sheets, but I wouldn't do it with less than 3.
Notes on phylo: The only tricky thing about working with phylo is that you can't let it dry out or it breaks. Just keep every sheet under a damp cloth or oiled and you will have no problem. BTW, don't stress if it does break a bit. Just stack the next layer on, and it will be fine!
Back to assembly. Take a sharp knife and cut your rectangle horizontally into 3 long, even “ribbons”. Now take a scant tablespoon of filling and put it at one end of a ribbon. Avoid using too much filling-just a dab will do it. Fold the ribbon up just like you fold a flag. Fold the top corner next to the filling down to the bottom edge to form a triangle, and enclose the filling. Then fold again and again along the triangle shape until you get to the end of the ribbon. Brush lightly with oil and put it onto the waiting sheet pan. Ta-da! Now repeat with the other two ribbons. Brush your surface lightly with oil and repeat the whole process until you run out of filling, or phylo, or time.
The assembled pastries can be refrigerated on the sheet, covered with the damp cloth and plastic wrap for up to about a day. To bake preheat oven to 375 degrees and bake until golden brown. This takes about 20 to 25 minutes.
You can also do this dish in a casserole like lasagna. Just use 4 or 5 sheets for the bottom layer, letting excess phylo run up the side of the casserole . Add half of the filling, 4 or 5 more sheets, the second half of the filling, and 4 or 5 sheets for the top. Fold any excess phylo over the top to make a smooth package. Any broken bits of phylo will look pretty scattered on top! Bake at 375 for about 40 minutes, until the top is golden brown.
