January 2nd, 2011
It took me 5 days to complete this Spanikopita, not intentionally. It began with the vegetable prep and some phyllo dough thawing. Various components were cooked and left to set. Eventually the ingredients were combined and folded into a beautiful little triangular packets. Then frozen. And lastly, wrapped in plastic for easy individual servings.
The recipe is somewhat nontraditional, and yet phenomenal. Of course, this would be the case, since the great David Lebovitz was the inspiration. Taking his suggestion on additional seasonings I added paprika, chopped sun-dried tomatoes and fresh garlic. Due to a shortage of feta cheese, I substituted a half cup of ricotta - which worked well to bind the spinach into a creamy, rich filling.
The most sinful part of this recipe was the sheer quantity of butter used between each lay of phyllo and before every fold of the packet. Best if enjoyed with a light salad and some olives.
