Dinner Spanakopita

I had a small bag of spinach needing to be used & I've been eating Feta like it's going to be pulled from the shelves any day...don't ask me why, I've been on a major Feta kick & this little recipe popped into my head. I cracked open my Back to Basics cookbook I scored at TJ Maxx and trusted Ina with her recipe for a good spinach pie...she sure did deliver! My husband took one bite & told me that this was the best spinach pie he's EVER had....then ate 2 more of them! I'll be making this again for sure. Just forgive my bad filo dough folding....it tasted good, that's all that matters.

Dinner Spanakopita
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics
Makes approximately 6 dinner-sized strudels

• Olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 scallions, white and green parts, chopped
• 2 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, defrosted
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Plain dry bread crumbs
• 1 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
• 2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups small-diced feta cheese (12 oz.)
• 3 tbsp. toasted pine nuts - I omitted
  
• 24 sheets frozen filo dough, defrosted
• Flaked sea salt, for sprinkling
• I added 2 cloves minced garlic to the onion sautee mixture
  

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Heat a medium saute pan over medium heat and add just enough olive oil to coat the bottom. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add the scallions and cook for another 2 minutes until the scallions are wilted but still green. Meanwhile, gently squeeze most of the water out of the spinach and place it in a large bowl.

When the onion and scallions are done, add them to the spinach. Mix in the eggs, Parmesan cheese, 3 tbsp. bread crumbs, the nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Gently fold in the feta and pine nuts.

Place on sheet of filo dough flat on a work surface with the long end in front of you. Brush the dough lightly with olive oil and sprinkle it with a teaspoon of bread crumbs. Working quickly, slide another sheet of filo dough on top of the first, brush with olive oil, and sprinkle lightly with bread crumbs. (Use just enough bread crumbs so the layers of filo don't stick together.) Pile 4 layers on top of each other this way brushing each with olive oil and sprinkling each with bread crumbs.

Cut the sheets of filo in thirds lengthwise. Place 1/3 cup spinach filling on the shorter end and roll the filo up diagonally as if folding a flag. They fold the triangle of filo over straight and then diagonally again. Continue folding first diagonally and then straight until you reach the end of the sheet. The filling should be totally enclosed. Place each finished strudel, seam side down, on a baking sheet and brush lightly with olive oil.

Continue assembling filo layers and folding the filling until all of the filling or all of the sheets have been used. Sprinkle sea salt over the finished strudels and bake for 30-35 minutes until the filo is browned and crisp. Serve hot.