Spanakopita Roll-Up Pie

In our fun spin on the savory Greek pie known as spanakopita, we created mini roll-ups filled with spinach and two kinds of cheese. Along with the traditional feta, we added cottage cheese, which lends a creamy texture. These are great for a party because guests can help themselves to their own little spiral-shaped pastry. Be sure to squeeze out as much liquid as possible from the cooked spinach to prevent the phyllo dough from becoming soggy when baked.

Ingredients:

For the filling:

  • 3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 lb. (500 g) spinach
  • 1 lb. (500 g) whole-milk cottage cheese
  • 14 oz. (440 g) feta cheese, crumbled
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 Tbs. chopped fresh mint
  • 1 Tbs. grated lemon zest

  • 1 cup (6 oz./175) ghee, melted
  • 15 sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 425°F (220°C).

To make the filling, in a large fry pan over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a large bowl.

Add the spinach to the pan and cook, stirring frequently, until wilted, about 1 minute. Transfer the spinach to a double layer of cheesecloth and squeeze out the liquid.

Chop the spinach and add it to the bowl with the onion mixture. Add the cottage cheese, feta, eggs, mint, lemon zest, 1 tsp. salt and several grindings of pepper and stir until combined.

Brush a 10-by-8-inch (25-by-20-cm) baking dish with a little of the melted ghee.

Place 1 phyllo dough sheet, with a long side facing you, on a work surface and lightly brush the phyllo with ghee. Place a second phyllo sheet directly on top and lightly brush with ghee. Top with a third phyllo sheet and lightly brush with ghee. Fold one of the short sides over toward the center, then fold the other short side toward the center, overlapping the two sides in the middle. Spread 3/4 cup (6 oz./185 g) of the filling mixture along the bottom one-third of the folded phyllo, then carefully roll the phyllo over the filling, away from you, to form a log. Cut the log into 3 equal pieces. Place the roll-ups, cut side up, in the prepared baking dish, nestled against each other.

Repeat four more times with the remaining phyllo, ghee and filling to make a total of 15 roll-ups, reserving a little ghee. Brush the tops and any exposed sides of the roll-ups with the remaining ghee.

Bake until the phyllo is crisp and deeply golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes, then serve. Makes 15 roll-ups.

Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen