Spanakopita

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, then cook spinach, stirring, until wilted and tender, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and cool, about 10 minutes. Squeeze handfuls of spinach to remove as much liquid as possible, then coarsely chop. Transfer to a bowl and stir in feta, nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

   Step 2

   Preheat oven to 375°F.

   Step 3

   Melt remaining 1 stick butter in a small saucepan, then cool.

   Step 4

   Cover phyllo stack with 2 overlapping sheets of plastic wrap and then a dampened kitchen towel.

   Step 5

   Take 1 phyllo sheet from stack and arrange on a work surface with a long side nearest you (keeping remaining sheets covered) and brush with some butter. Top with another phyllo sheet and brush with more butter. Cut buttered phyllo stack crosswise into 6 (roughly 12- by 2 3/4-inch) strips.

   Step 6

   Put a heaping teaspoon of filling near 1 corner of a strip on end nearest you, then fold corner of phyllo over to enclose filling and form a triangle. Continue folding strip (like a flag), maintaining triangle shape. Put triangle, seam side down, on a large baking sheet and brush top with butter. Make more triangles in same manner, using all of phyllo.

   Step 7

   Bake triangles in middle of oven until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool slightly.