Spanakopita With Sweet Italian Sausage
Today we're having Spanakopita with A Greek Village Salad, but with a twist.
Equipment
- 2 rimmed baking sheet pans
- 1 chef's knife
- 1 cutting board
- 1 piece of cheesecloth
- 1 fine mesh sieve
- 3 mixing bowls 1 large and 2 medium-sized
- 1 rubber spatula
- 1 saucepot small (1-quart)
- 1 pastry brush
- 1 jelly jar 8-ounce with a tight-fitting lid
Ingredients
Ingredients for the Spanakopita:
- 1 pound sweet Italian sausage (5 links), casings removed (meat-filled Spanakopita optional)
- 2 10-ounce boxes frozen spinach (thawed and drained of excess water)
- 1 onion Small dice
- 3 cloves garlic Minced
- 1 tsp nutmeg Freshly-grated
- 2 tsps marjoram or oregano leaves (3sprigs) Finely chopped
- 2 tsps fresh thyme leaves (3sprigs) Finely chopped
- 4 fronds fresh dill Finely chopped
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 tbsps dried oregano
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper Freshly-ground
- 3 large eggs Beaten
- 3 tbsps parmesan cheese Freshly-grated
- 1 4-ounce package goat cheese Crumbled
- 1 7-ounce package feta cheese Cubed
- 2 packages Phyllo dough sheets 24 sheets
- 16 tbsps (2 sticks) butter Unsalted and melted, (reserve 1/2 stick of melted butter for the top)
- 1 1/2 cups seasoned Italian bread crumbs (reserve 1/2 cup of the top of each Spanakopita)
Garnish:
- 2 tbsps Italian flat-leaf parsley Finely chopped (Optional Tip: I like to add 2 more tablespoons of dried parsley flakes to the Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs for extra color.
Instructions
- The Day Before...Start by thawing the frozen spinach. Place the spinach in a fine-mesh sieve, fitted with a piece of cheesecloth, and set it on top of a medium-sized mixing bowl on the counter overnight.The Day of...Gather the cheesecloth together and squeeze as much of the water out of the spinach as possible. Transfer the spinach to a large mixing bowl and set aside.In a large dry sauté pan over medium-high heat, add sweet Italian sausage. Start breaking the sausage up with the back of a wooden spoon. Once the sausage is browned, about 10 to 15 minutes, add the diced onion, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, freshly grated nutmeg, kosher salt, and fresh-ground black pepper. Continue cooking until the onions have softened, another 5 to 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, drain off extra grease from the sausage. Transfer the sausage mixture into the bowl with the spinach.In a small saucepot, over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Add the breadcrumbs and cook for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a mixing bowl. Add the finely chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley and toss to combine. Set aside.In a small bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Add the beaten eggs to the cooled sausage and spinach mixture. Add the Goat cheese, grated Parmesan, and Feta cheese to the sausage and spinach mixture. Using a large rubber spatula, gently mix to combine. Set aside.Remove the phyllo dough from the refrigerator. Carefully unfold the sheets of phyllo dough, and lay them on a flat surface covered with a damp towel.Optional Tip: I like to add 2 more tablespoons of dried parsley flakes to the Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs for extra color.Instructions for the Spanakopita:Preheat oven to 375° F.Carefully peel one sheet of phyllo dough from the stack and arrange it on a work surface with the short side nearest you (keep the remaining sheets of dough covered). Using a pastry brush, brush with melted butter. Sprinkle breadcrumbs evenly over the entire sheet of dough. Repeat the process, laying a second sheet of phyllo dough over the first. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with breadcrumbs until 4 sheets are completed.Cut the sheets of phyllo in half lengthwise, making two large strips. On the first strip, place 1/3 cup of the filling at the shorter end nearest you, then fold the corner of the phyllo over to enclose the filling and form a triangle. Continue folding the strip up (like a flag), maintaining a triangle shape until you reach the end of the sheet. The filling should be enclosed. Repeat this process with the second strip.Repeat these steps until all the phyllo dough and filling are used.Place the filled pastries, seam-side down, onto a rimmed baking sheet. Brush with melted butter, and sprinkle with seasoned breadcrumbs. Sprinkle each one with a pinch of Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until phyllo is golden and crisp.Transfer to a rack to cool slightly.There you have it, my Spanakopita with Sweet Italian Sausage.
Notes
1) Pastry triangles can be formed, but not baked, 3 days ahead. Arrange in a single layer in a large, heavy-duty, sealed plastic baggie, then freeze. Bake frozen pastries (DO NOT THAW) in the same manner as above.
2) Linda Lou Hamel is not a nutritionist or dietitian, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and nutritional value are important to you, I recommend running the ingredients through the online nutritional calculator of your choice. Calories and values can vary depending on the brands you choose.
