Sfongo (Spinach & Potato Pie)

  Posted on March 29, 2010  by Leslie Blythe  2 comments

Kosher for Passover

This is a recipe from Claudia Roden’s The Book of Jewish Food. The dish is served as a dairy meal accompanied by hard-boiled eggs for Passover. I must admit, my main motivation for posting this recipe today is to try out a new tip that I heard on Melinda Lee’s radio program this weekend. To squeeze the water out of spinach, use a potato ricer! Brilliant!

Sfongo (Spinach & Potato Pie)

Serves 6

2½ lbs potatoes
3 Tbs butter
½ cup milk
Salt and pepper to taste
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1½ lbs spinach
½ tsp nutmeg
2 Tbs olive oil

Boil the potatoes in their skins until soft. Drain, cool, peel and mash the potatoes with a fork. Add the butter, milk, salt, pepper, eggs and 6 tablespoons of the grated cheese. Beat until well blended.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Wash and drain the spinach and press dry. Cook over low heat in a covered, nonstick skillet for 1 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the nutmeg and mix well.

Use 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to grease a 9-by-12-inch baking dish. Use a spatula to press half the mashed potatoes into the bottom of the dish, layer in the spinach, top with the remaining potatoes, sprinkle with the remaining cheese and oil and bake for 50 minutes.