Cypriot Spinach & Cheese Phyllo Pie

Spanakopita has to be one of the most loved pie’s in the Greek culture. Whats not to love, layers and layers of buttery crispy phyllo all wrapped around a delicious spinach cheese filling. The traditional Greek version uses fresh dill and feta cheese. In our Cypriot culture, halloumi cheese is used in many of our savoury pies. My family recipe for this nostalgic and very loved pie, I have used a blend of halloumi and feta and substituted the dill for fresh parsley. This pie shows beautifully and makes for a wonderful brunch, lunch or dinner addition paired with a simple green salad. It is also perfect for making ahead. Just place it in the refrigerator covered with foil and bake cold within 24 hours. Have leftovers, which we never do ;), Place on baking sheet and bake in a 375 F oven until warm and phyllo has crisped up again.

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Spanakopita Cypriot Spinach & Cheese Phyllo Pie

Total Time1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Materials

• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 medium onion diced
• 6 cup fresh spinach roughly chopped
• ½ cup green onions thinly sliced, including green parts
• 2 cup Italian flat parsley finely chopped
• 1 1/2 cup goat and sheep’s milk feta cheese crumbled
• 1 cup Halloumi Cheese grated
• 2 large eggs lightly beaten
• 1 tsp each of salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter melted
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 450 g phyllo pastry sheets

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375F. Butter a 8 inch spring form pan and set aside.
• In a small saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Sauté the onions until translucent and tender about 2-3 minutes. Set aside
• In a large bowl, add the spinach, parsley, green onions, cooked onions, feta, halloumi and beaten eggs. Season with salt and pepper and toss gently until well mixed. Set aside.
• Combine the melted butter with the olive oil in a bowl.
• Place phyllo between a damp tea towel, this will ensure it does not dry out.
• Using a pastry brush, brush 8 sheets of phyllo with butter mixture. Layer them in pan with edges of phyllo are draping over sides of pan
• Fill with spinach mixture and fold edges over.
• Layer 8 more sheets of phyllo, brushing each with melted butter. Ensure the sides of the phyllo are tucked in the spring form pan.
• Bake for 45-50 minutes or until pie is dark golden in colour. Remove from oven, allow to cool for 5 minutes prior to removing from spring form pan.