Sheet-Pan Spanakopita (Greek Spinach and Feta Pie)

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

One big pan of shatteringly crisp phyllo over a dense, bright green spinach-and-feta filling — all the flavor of hand-folded triangles with about a tenth of the fussing. The whole recipe is built around two skills: relaxing store-bought phyllo so it stops tearing, and driving every last drop of water out of the spinach so the bottom crust bakes crisp instead of steaming into paste. Score it into squares before it goes in the oven and it cuts cleanly, every time.

Ingredients

• 1 lb frozen phyllo dough, 9x14-inch sheets (about 20 sheets), thawed
• 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 tsp sesame seeds (optional)

• 2 lb frozen chopped spinach (three 10-oz boxes or two 16-oz bags), thawed
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 medium leeks, white and light green parts, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
• 6 scallions, thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 12 oz Greek feta in brine, crumbled
• 1 cup whole-milk ricotta, drained
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 3/4 cup chopped fresh dill
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
• 1 tbsp finely grated lemon zest
• 1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan
• 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 tsp black pepper, coarsely ground
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste

Instructions

1. Thaw the phyllo correctly, because this is where most spanakopita goes wrong: move the sealed box from the freezer to the refrigerator a full 24 hours ahead, then set it on the counter, still sealed, for 1 to 2 hours before you open it. Phyllo thawed fast on the counter or in the microwave sweats, and damp sheets glue together and shred. Do not unroll it until your filling is completely made and cooled.
2. Thaw the frozen spinach in a colander (overnight in the fridge, or 10 minutes in a bowl of warm water). Working in three or four batches, pile the spinach in the center of a clean, thin kitchen towel, gather the corners, twist hard over the sink, and keep twisting for a good 30 seconds per batch. You want it to feel like a dry, springy tennis ball — you should extract roughly 2 to 3 cups of liquid total and end up with about 3 1/2 cups of packed dry spinach. Pull the compressed clumps apart with your fingers into a large bowl so it doesn't bake into a solid mat.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the leeks and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring often, for 8 to 10 minutes, until completely soft and sweet but not browned. Add the scallions and garlic and cook 2 minutes more. Scrape into the bowl with the spinach and let cool for at least 15 minutes — hot vegetables will scramble the eggs and melt the feta into grease.
4. Add the feta, ricotta, eggs, dill, parsley, mint, lemon zest, Pecorino, nutmeg, and black pepper to the bowl. Mix thoroughly with your hands or a sturdy spatula until the filling looks uniformly flecked and holds together when squeezed. Taste and add salt only if needed; good brined feta is usually salty enough. If the mixture looks at all wet in the bottom of the bowl, tip it into a sieve for a few minutes.
5. Heat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the lower third. Melt the butter and stir it into the 3/4 cup olive oil in a small bowl — the butter adds flavor and browning, the oil keeps the layers from burning. Brush a 9x13-inch metal baking pan generously with the mixture.
6. Set up your phyllo station: unroll the stack on a cutting board, lay a sheet of plastic wrap over it, then a lightly damp (not wet) kitchen towel on top of the plastic. Take one sheet at a time and re-cover the stack immediately. If a sheet tears, use it anyway — patch it flat inside the pan and keep going. Nobody will ever see the interior layers.
7. Lay 10 sheets of phyllo in the pan one at a time, brushing each with the oil-butter mixture using a soft pastry brush and a light dabbing motion rather than long strokes (dragging tears the sheet). Let the excess drape up the sides of the pan for now. Don't soak the sheets; a thin, spotty coat on each layer is what makes them separate into flakes.
8. Spread the filling evenly over the base and press it flat with an offset spatula, all the way into the corners. Fold the overhanging phyllo edges inward over the filling and brush them.
9. Top with the remaining 10 sheets, brushing each one, and tuck the edges down inside the pan like you're making a bed. Crumple the last sheet very slightly as you lay it for extra ruffles. Brush the top generously and scatter with sesame seeds.
10. Using a sharp thin knife, cut the pie into 12 squares, slicing all the way through the top layers of phyllo and the filling but not scraping the bottom crust. Scoring before baking is the whole trick to clean pieces — cutting baked phyllo just shatters it. Sprinkle the top with about 1 tablespoon of water to discourage the loose edges from curling.
11. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, rotating the pan once, until the top is deep golden brown and crisp and you can see no pale, damp phyllo at the edges. Lift a corner piece with a spatula to check the underside; it should be dry and browned. If the top is dark before the bottom sets, tent loosely with foil and continue baking.
12. Let the pie rest on a rack for 25 to 30 minutes before serving. This is not optional — the filling firms up and the steam escapes rather than softening the crust. Recut along the score lines and lift the squares out with a small offset spatula. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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