Maria Athans Spinach Pie Recipes

SPINACH PIE

Steps:

• Make the filling: In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Add onions, and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and 2 teaspoons salt; cook until garlic is tender, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Transfer mixture to a large bowl; stir in spinach, feta, Parmesan, breadcrumbs, dill, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Fold in eggs until combined.
• Divide mixture evenly between two 9-inch springform pans or two 9 1/2-inch deep-dish pie plates; press firmly to flatten.
• Make the topping: In a large bowl, gently toss sliced phyllo to separate, then toss with remaining 1/2 cup oil until coated.
• Divide phyllo between pies, covering the tops evenly and completely. (To freeze, cover pies tightly with plastic wrap, being careful not to flatten topping. Bake within 3 months; do not thaw first.)
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake until heated through and topping is golden brown, about 1 hour 15 minutes for frozen pie (30 minutes for unfrozen pie).

SARA'S SPINACH PIE

Steps:

• In a large skillet over low heat, heat olive oil. Add onions and pinch of salt, and sauté until soft and beginning to turn golden, 30 to 40 minutes. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
• Return pan to medium heat. Working in batches and adding oil 1 tablespoon at a time as needed, sauté spinach until wilted, then transfer to a bowl. Coarsely chop cooked spinach, then squeeze hard to remove as much excess liquid as possible.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly oil a shallow 9-by-13-inch baking dish and set aside. In a large bowl, combine feta, ricotta, Parmigiano-Reggiano, eggs and a generous amount of pepper. Mix well. Add spinach and onions and mix thoroughly. Add dill, and toss to blend. Spoon into baking dish, pat down evenly and drizzle lightly with olive oil.
• Bake pie for 30 minutes. Raise heat to 350 degrees and bake until lightly firm in center and golden on top, about 20 more minutes. If top begins to brown too much, cover lightly with foil. To serve, allow pie to cool slightly before cutting into squares. It may also be served cold.

SKILLET SPINACH PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a 10-inch nonstick, oven-safe skillet, melt butter over medium. Transfer 2 tablespoons to a small bowl. Add onion to skillet and cook, stirring, until softened, 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Stir in spinach, ricotta, eggs, feta, dill, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
• Lay 1 sheet phyllo on a work surface and lightly brush with reserved melted butter. Lay over spinach mixture, folding edges under to fit inside skillet. (Keep extra phyllo covered while you work.) One at a time, brush remaining 3 sheets and add to skillet, rotating and scrunching each sheet slightly so edges are offset and top is ruffled. Bake until golden brown and heated through, about 30 minutes.

MARIA ATHANS' SPINACH PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray bottom and sides of a 9x13-inch square baking dish with cooking spray.
• Melt 1/4 cup of butter in a large skillet, and cook the spinach and green onions, stirring occasionally, until the white parts of the onions are translucent, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat, and allow to cool for about 10 minutes; mix in the eggs, cottage cheese, feta cheese, and dill until thoroughly combined.
• Melt remaining 3/4 cup of butter in a saucepan. Place 1 sheet of phyllo dough into the prepared baking dish, and brush with melted butter. Repeat laying down and buttering sheets until half the sheets have been used. Spread the filling over the sheets in an even layer. Place remaining phyllo sheets on the filling, buttering each sheet as before. Brush the top sheet with butter.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 45 to 50 minutes.