I don’t know about you, but I had never tried to use phyllo pastry in my life. It always intrigued me; I tasted it several times and even “approached” it in the supermarket fridge section, but there was always something that stopped me and I never bought it.
Yesterday I finally said enough, I have to try it — it won’t be that difficult to use!
I took advantage of a quiet afternoon at home (husband and son out…) and got to work. I had watched a few tutorials beforehand to understand the right way to fold and seal it, and to help you I took step-by-step photos to show you how to do it. In the end I am super satisfied!!!!! The result is incredible. For this first attempt I decided to fill the phyllo with a tried-and-true spinach and feta filling I got from a Greek chef years ago and made triangles. The result was crispy parcels with a soft, flavorful filling inside. I happened to take them out of the oven just a few seconds before the family returned and one second later they were already finished!
I believe phyllo will definitely become a staple in my kitchen from tomorrow on, and in yours if you try this recipe.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Cooking time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4 triangles
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 4 phyllo pastry sheets
- 11 oz frozen spinach (1.1 lb if fresh)
- 4 oz feta cheese
- 1 shallot (chopped)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (1 for brushing)
- to taste Salt
- to taste Freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
I didn’t have fresh spinach at home so I used frozen spinach; if you prefer to use fresh (which is definitely tastier) follow the notes at the end.
First, cook the spinach without thawing them in a pot with water and boil for about 7–8 minutes. Once boiled, drain and squeeze them well to remove excess water (I usually put them in a colander and press them a bit with a fork to get rid of all the water).
Chop the shallot in a food processor and sauté it with 1 tablespoon of oil in a nonstick skillet. After 1 minute add the previously drained spinach, season with salt and let it flavor over medium heat for about 3–4 minutes until all the water is completely absorbed — they should be dry.
Let the spinach cool in a bowl, add the crumbled feta and a pinch of black pepper. It should not be necessary to add salt since feta is already quite salty, but taste to be sure. Mix well so the ingredients come together.
Take one sheet of phyllo and lay it on a work surface. With a sharp knife cut it in half lengthwise.
Brush the surface with olive oil, place the first half over the second half and press lightly so they stick together.
Place a tablespoon of filling in the bottom corner of the strip of pastry.
Fold to form a triangle.
Continue rolling the pastry over itself, always forming triangles, until you reach the end of the strip.
Be sure to always seal the ends by brushing lightly with oil and pressing the pastry with your fingers.
Proceed the same way to form all the triangles.
At this point place your phyllo parcels on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 392°F for about 15–18 minutes. Of course it depends on the oven; you’ll know they’re done because the phyllo will puff up slightly. It should be lightly golden but not too much.
Once baked, remove them from the oven and let them cool slightly before serving (if you can resist!)… unless you have little locusts at home like mine, who burned their mouths just to eat them immediately!!!!!
Notes
As you saw I used frozen spinach because I didn’t have fresh at home; if you want to use fresh, proceed as follows: first wash the spinach very well under running water to remove any soil. Once washed, dry them. Cook them in a pan over medium heat with the chopped shallot, 1 tablespoon of oil, 1 ladle of water and a pinch of salt. Continue cooking for about 5 minutes until they have softened a bit and the water has completely absorbed. At this point continue with the recipe.
If you don’t like the strong, salty taste of feta you can easily replace it with ricotta; it will make your triangles more delicate. In that case you’ll need to salt the filling slightly since you’ll be missing feta’s salty element.
Phyllo pastry is extremely versatile and you can fill it with whatever you like. Try other combinations such as: robiola and cooked ham, broccoli and ricotta, shrimp and spinach, pear and brie, or sweet versions like apple and raisins.
