Broccoli Spanakopita…or Broccolikopita
Spanakopita is a Greek pastry, usually filled with spinach and feta cheese folded in layers of filo dough. Most of the time, I see them folded into triangles (kinda like how you fold an American flag), but I decided that rolls were easier to shape, easy enough for my boys to help me in the kitchen.
Instead of spinach, we used fresh broccoli, something we had plenty of in the garden. Crispy, flaky and savory.
The first step is to lightly saute the onions, garlic and broccoli in olive oil. Season with a pinch of ground nutmeg and salt and pepper.
The broccoli should still be a little crunchy and bright green. Let the pan cool a bit and then stir in the raw egg. If the pan is too hot, the egg will cook. Remember, this all goes in the oven later for 20 minutes, so everything will be perfectly cooked.
Lay out a sheet of filo, brush with melted butter, then add another sheet. Spoon a couple tablespoons of the broccoli filling in the middle, near the bottom.
Fold over both sides.
Roll up.
Once you’re done with all of the rolls, brush the tops with butter.
Bake for 20 minutes and serve hot!
Broccoli Spanakopita Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced
- 1 head broccoli, finely chopped
- pinch ground nutmeg
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 3/4 cup feta cheese
- 1 egg, whisked
- 20 sheets filo dough (about 1/2 package), covered with barely-damp towel
- 4 tablespoons melted butter
Instructions
- Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Swirl in the olive oil and saute the onions until transluscent. Add in the garlic and the broccoli and saute for 3 minutes, or until the broccoli is just starting to get tender but still bright green. Season with nutmeg, salt, pepper and lemon juice. Remove from heat and let cool until no longer steaming. Stir in the egg and the feta cheese.
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Lay 1 filo sheet on clean surface. Brush completely with melted butter. Lay another sheet on top. Spoon 2 tablespoons of the broccoli filling 1" from the bottom edge, in the middle. Fold the left side of the filo sheet over, then fold the right side over. Fold the bottom edge towards to top and roll. Place on baking sheet seam side down. Brush the top with melted butter. Repeat with remaining to make 10 rolls.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until tops are golden brown and crispy.
