Greek-Inspired Spinach Pie (Spanakopita)

SilverOpera's Note:

This is a variation on a spanakopita. I like a little more body in the filling, so I add ricotta cheese. Cottage cheese makes a great substitute. This is delicious and impressive. The variety of onions really adds a lot to the dish. Use what you have on hand...the ones listed are just a suggestion. You may also brush the filo with olive oil instead of using the spray if you prefer. I find that the spray tastes just as good and is way easier. You may also notice that dill is missing from this recipe. This is a personal choice, as I don't enjoy the flavor of dill, but if you want a more authentic-tasting spanakopita, add some in.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 15 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 9

Yield: 9.0 pieces

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 1 leek, chopped
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 6 green onions, chopped
• 2 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach
• 8 ounces feta cheese
• 12 ounces part-skim ricotta cheese
• 2 eggs, beaten
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste
• olive oil cooking spray
• 0.5 (16 ounce) package phyllo dough, thawed

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Saute onions, shallots, and leek until soft.
3. Add green onions and saute another 1 minute.
4. Add spinach and cook 10 minutes, or until some moisture has cooked out.
5. Remove from heat. Crumble feta cheese and stir into mixture.
6. Stir ricotta into mixture.
7. Taste the mixture and season with salt and pepper to taste. The feta cheese is salty, so be careful not to over-salt.
8. Allow the mixture to cool slightly. Pour beaten eggs over mixture and stir.
9. Unroll phyllo dough. Cover with a damp paper towel to keep it from drying out.
10. Generously spray a 11x13 baking dish (glass or metal will work) with olive oil spray.
11. Place one sheet of phyllo in the bottom of the dish. Spray the sheet with olive oil spray. Continue layering the phyllo, spraying each sheet well with olive oil, until you've built about 10 layers.
12. Spoon half of the spinach filling over the layered phyllo dough.
13. Place two or three sheets of phyllo over the spinach mixture. Do not spray these layers. They are just to absorb some moisture from the filling.
14. Spoon the rest of the spinach mixture evenly over the phyllo.
15. Layer 10 more sheets of phyllo over the spinach, spraying each layer.
16. Score the upper layer of phyllo into 9 square pieces with a sharp knife. Cut all the way through the top ten sheets, but be careful not to cut the bottom ones. This makes it easy to cut and serve when it's done. If you want larger servings, cut it into 6 pieces.
17. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes, or until phyllo dough is golden.
18. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes, then cut and serve. Spanakopita is traditionally served just warm or even cold, but I enjoy this when it is still hot.
19. Enjoy!