Greek Spinach and Feta Pie (Spanakopita)

Name: Greek Spinach and Feta Pie (Spanakopita)
Yield: Serves 6 to 8 as a main dish or 10 to 12 as an appetizer
Cuisine: Europe, Greek
Ingredients: 2 (10-ounce) bags, curly leaf spinach, rinsed; 1/4 cup, water; 12 ounces, feta cheese, rinsed, patted dry, and crumbled into fine pieces (about 3 cups); 3/4 cup, whole-milk Greek yogurt (see note); 4 medium, scallions, sliced thin (about 1/2 cup); 2 large, eggs, beaten; 1/4 cup, minced fresh mint leaves; 2 tablespoons, minced fresh dill leaves; 3 medium, garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon); 1 teaspoon, grated zest plus 1 tablespoon juice from 1 lemon; 1 teaspoon, ground nutmeg; 1/2 teaspoon, ground black pepper; 1/4 teaspoon, table salt; 1/8 teaspoon, cayenne pepper; 7 tablespoons, unsalted butter, melted; 1/2 pound (14 by 9-inch), phyllo, thawed (see note); 1 1/2 ounces, Pecorino Romano, grated fine (about 3/4 cup); 2 teaspoons, sesame seeds (optional)

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Appears in Cook's Illustrated January/February 2011, America's Test Kitchen TV

Ideally, spanakopita is a hot and flavorful one-dish meal encased in a crispy, buttery crust. Yet most versions fall flat—a Greek tragedy in need of a happy ending.

SERVES6 to 8 as a main dish or 10 to 12 as an appetizer

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WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

Microwaving, chopping, and then ridding mature fresh spinach of excess water gave our spanakopita recipe bold spinach flavor. To buffer the assertiveness of feta and to add textural contrast, we added Greek yogurt to the spanakopita recipe....

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