Spanakopita - Greek Spinach Pie

SERVES 6 - 8 PEOPLE As a child growing up in S. Ontario, spinach pie would have been viewed with suspicion! Luckily, my tastes matured, and this lovely Greek, family comfort food has graced my table many times. For a delicious summer meal, serve with a Greek salad and crusty bread. Here’s a little secret, it tastes even better sitting seaside at an outdoor café overlooking the Aegean sipping a dry white wine. So, if you don’t feel like cooking – come join me in Greece! καλή όρεξη – Bon Appetite! INGREDIENTS: 16 oz spinach, drained 1 bunch of fresh parsley, chopped 1 bunch of fresh dill, chopped 2 garlic cloves, crushed 3 eggs, beaten 10 oz Greek feta cheese 1 lemon, zested Salt and pepper 1 pack frozen phyllo (filo) pastry, thawed (you will need about 8-10 sheets) 4 tbsp butter STEP 1 Preheat the oven to 325°F STEP 2 Make the filling by mixing the spinach, chopped herbs, garlic, eggs, crumbled feta and lemon zest together in a bowl. Season to taste. STEP 3 Unroll the thawed pastry and immediately cover with a clean, damp cloth to keep it from drying out. STEP 4 Melt the butter in a small pan, then take a square or rectangular baking dish and line with a few sheets of the phyllo, lay each one in a different direction and make sure they drape over the sides of the dish. Don’t be scared, brush each layer generously with butter. Keep layering until you have used about two thirds of the pastry. STEP 5 Spoon in the spinach and feta mixture and smooth over the top, then butter a few more sheets and layer over the pie, scrunch the sheets slightly to give lots of texture and fit snugly across the top of the pie. Finally, fold in the overlapping edges of pastry towards the middle. Brush more butter the finished pie!