Recipe Re-Done

This recipe was originally posted October 8, 2016. It was my first recipe that I wrote for Yay! For Food and, at the time, I was just excited to put content out. My website was still a new idea and I was frantically cooking, baking, and photographing with my phone. I just wanted to make content to share.

Two Spanakopita Rolls stacked on top of each other.

After reviewing and getting feedback from a friend that tried to follow along with the recipe, I realized that it needed an update with clearer directions and pictures. We texted back and forth as she tried to understand my sometimes vague instructions. I was also missing ingredients in the instructions themselves. Her: “You mentioned parsley, but you didn’t say when to put it in?”

I felt embarrassed and disappointed in myself. Did I even proofread this? Did someone read this and try to follow along and realized how amateur the recipe was?

In the end, she mentioned that the spanakopita rolls turned out great and she enjoyed them. She even sent me a picture and they looked amazing!

In the end, I was so glad we had that conversation. I have since removed some of my very first recipes from my website to re-make and improve upon them. They are recipes that I enjoy and would love to share again and I hope that you will enjoy them as well!

So without further ado, here is my recipe re-done with new instructions and brand new photos too! Now onto the recipe.

Spinach, onions, parsley, ricotta, eggs, and phyllo dough.

Mise en place {see Ingredients for amounts}. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease or line (with parchment paper) a baking sheet.

Sauted spinach, onions, green onions, and parsley.

Cook spinach, onions, green onions, and parsley.

Ricotta, eggs, and nutmeg whisked together.

Whisk together ricotta, eggs, nutmeg, salt, and pepper.

A spinach and ricotta mixture in a bowl.

Combine spinach-mix and ricotta-mix together well.

A sheet of phyllo dough brushed with butter.

For each layer (5 or more). brush with melted butter and a little chopped peanuts.

Place a final layer of phyllo on top. Cut into eight rectangles.

Phyllo dough rectangles with a dollop of spinach and ricotta filling.

Place an large dollop of filling on the end of each rectangle.

Roll up each roll and place it on the baking sheet. Brush each roll with melted butter.

Bake for 25-30 minutes until phyllo is golden-brown and crispy.

Top with additional parsley and chopped peanuts. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

A plate with four Spinach and Ricotta Spanakopita Roll halves.

A plate with six Spinach and Ricotta Spanakopita Roll halves.

Spinach and Ricotta Spanakopita Rolls

Name: Spinach and Ricotta Spanakopita Rolls
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 8
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 medium onion, finely chopped; 4 cups spinach, chopped; ¼ cup green onion, finely chopped; ½ cup parsley, finely chopped; 2 eggs, beaten; 1½ cup ricotta; 1 tsp ground nutmeg; Salt and pepper; 1 roll phyllo pastry sheets, thawed; ½ cup of butter, melted; ¼ cup peanuts, chopped into little pieces (optional)

Yield: 8 rolls

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Crunchy, creamy, easy to make. Spanakopita is a Greek spinach-based savoury pastry. This interpretation uses fresh spinach, creamy ricotta, and chopped peanuts with plenty of butter in between each phyllo pastry layer.

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 cups spinach, chopped
¼ cup green onion, finely chopped
½ cup parsley, finely chopped
2 eggs, beaten
1½ cup ricotta
1 tsp ground nutmeg
Salt and pepper
1 roll phyllo pastry sheets, thawed
½ cup of butter, melted
¼ cup peanuts, chopped into little pieces (optional)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a baking pan with melted butter or line with parchment paper.
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the spinach, onions, green onions, and parsley. Stir frequently, until the onions are soft, about 2-4 minutes. Drain any excess liquid. Set it aside and let it cool.
In another bowl, mix together the eggs, ricotta, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Then, fold in the cooked spinach mixture until the ingredients are incorporated together.
Unwrap the phyllo pastry sheets. Brush a layer with melted butter and sprinkle with a light layer of chopped peanuts. Repeat for 4 more layers or more depending on how much crust you would like. Put a final layer of phyllo on top.
Cut the phyllo in half lengthwise and then cut 4 strips down the width of the phyllo sheets to make 8 rectangles.
Place a heaping ball of the spinach mixture at the end of each strip. Roll the phyllo starting at the bottom with the filling and brush the rolls with melted butter*.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and crisp. Top with additional chopped peanuts and parsley if you like. Serve immediately.

Notes

*When you roll, a little bit of filling may run out the sides; simply push it back in, the filling will firm up in the oven.
Nutritional calories represent one serving (one roll) with eight servings total.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 302Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 97mgSodium: 331mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 3gSugar: 3gProtein: 12g

Marie

Tuesday 27th of March 2018

Can these be frozen and reheated?

Marie | Yay! For Food

Hi Marie! Yes you can, but if you bake it before hand, freeze, and re-heat in the oven, you may lose some of the crispiness of the phyllo.

In general, for spanakopita, if you are planning to make it ahead of time, you should form the rolls, flash freeze the unbaked spanakopita on a baking sheet, and then place them in a single layer in a freezer bag, until you need to bake them.

Brush with additional melted butter and then bake from frozen at the same oven temperature for the same amount of time or more (an additional 5-10 minutes) depending on how frozen it is.

Karen (Back Road Journal)

Wednesday 11th of January 2017

A well put together recipe and your photos are wonderful.

Marie @ Yay! For Food

Thank you, Karen!

Joyce

These look so delicious. The crispiness blows me away! This post is amazing Marie! :)Don't feel disappointed or embarrassed about re-making and re-doing things. I do the same thing as well :) One time I asked Terry to proof read one of my posts for me and he said whatever I wrote in that post was not even close to English and I apparently wasn't writing full sentences and asked me if I was even awake yet! haha o_O

Thank you for your encouraging words! It means a lot! :) I completely understand with the writing. I find myself re-reading my own stuff and ask myself if I even know how to write! ha ha.

Cecilia

Tuesday 10th of January 2017

I like how you make the mise en place. The recipe sounds great, I will try it. Thanks!

Thank you, Cecilia! Let me know what you think of the recipe when you make it! :)

Alison @ The Sunday Glutton

These look great for a lunch or party appetizer! And the step by step photos really help, thank you for revisiting the recipe!!

You're welcome, Alison!