Spanakopita Pizza
Spinach, feta, cottage cheese, sauteed red potatoes with paprika & garlic, kataifi (shredded phyllo dough)
So yes, sometimes the “deconstructed” pizzas can get a bit silly, but what is pizza dough if not a spanakopita wrapper taken to a delicious, bready new level? A spanakopita pizza is just natural. We discovered kataifi, a type of shredded phyllo dough, at International Foods & Spices in West Philly, and it seemed like the perfect way to make the phyllo aspect a bit more present, plus add a welcome crunch. And sure, potatoes are not technically part of spanakopita, but after this pizza they probably should be.
Recipe
Ingredients: ball of pizza dough flour for dusting semolina flour for pizza stone olive oil salt & pepper kataifi (we got this at an international store, but if you can’t find it, try something else to get the crunchy effect, like store-bought fried onions or crispy Chinese noodles)
For the potatoes: 5-6 baby red potatoes, diced into even, bite-size pieces a couple dashes each of paprika & salt 2-3 cloves garlic, peeled but kept whole
For the spanakopita: 1 bag fresh spinach ½ cup diced yellow onion 1 clove garlic, minced 4 oz crumbled feta ½ cup cottage cheese 1 teaspoon Greek seasoning 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg ¼ teaspoon salt
Directions:
To start the pizza, take your kataifi out of the freezer to let it thaw, and preheat your oven to 550° F. Heat a large skillet (ideally cast iron) over medium heat, then add just enough olive oil to coat the entire pan.
When the oil is hot, add the potatoes in an even layer, and sprinkle with salt & paprika. Let them sizzle for a couple minutes before stirring them up a bit. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to medium low.
Let the potatoes cook for about 10 minutes, occasionally taking the lid off to give them a stir. Once they’re tender, remove the lid and let them brown on all sides for another 5 minutes.
Use your spoon to create a hole in the center of the pan, and add another dash of oil and the garlic cloves. Let them brown so they can release their flavor, then stir them in with the potatoes to cook for another minute. When they’re finished, take them off the heat, remove the garlic and set aside.
While the potatoes are cooking, you can start on the spanakopita. Heat about a teaspoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent. Stir in the spinach and let it wilt completely before taking the mixture off the heat. In a bowl, combine the spinach and onions with the rest of the spanakopita ingredients.
Next, prepare your dough using the instructions on the right. When you’ve baked it for a minute, brush it lightly with olive oil. Spoon the spanakopita mixture out in an even layer, followed by the potatoes. Next, take your thawed kataifi and separate it with your hands, laying it out in clumps on top of the pizza. Bake until the crust is a nice golden brown, then take it out and enjoy!