Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter, plus more to grease the pan
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 leek, white and light green parts only, chopped
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 large or 2 small shallots, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 scallions, sliced, white and dark green parts separated
- 3 pounds frozen chopped spinach, thawed, excess water squeezed out with a kitchen towel (note: if you substitute fresh spinach, wash and trim four and a half to five pounds, and then steam, drain, and chop it)
- 1 pound feta cheese, cubed or crumbled
- 2 cups matzo meal or panko breadcrumbs
- 6 eggs, beaten
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, divided
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease an 11 x 13-inch glass or metal pan, or similarly sized casserole dish, with butter.
Heat the butter and olive oil in a large skillet over low heat. Add the leek, onion, and shallots and sauté until soft. Add the garlic and the white parts of scallion and cook for another minute or two. Remove the mixture from the heat to cool.
In a large bowl, add the spinach, feta, matzo meal or breadcrumbs, eggs, ¼ cup of the Parmesan cheese, the dark green scallion tops, and the cooled onion mixture. Mix well.
Spoon the mixture into the pan or casserole dish and smooth the top to even it. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese.
Place the dish in the preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes, until the top is golden brown. If it needs a bit more browning, turn the oven to broil and brown the dish for a minute, watching so it does not burn.
DID YOU KNOW?
Spinach was the favorite vegetable of Catherine de’ Medici of the famous Italian Renaissance Medici family. When she left her home in Florence to marry the king of France in 1533, she brought her cooks along so that they could prepare the spinach dishes she loved. She was the inspiration behind the phrase “a la Florentine,” describing dishes prepared on a bed of spinach.
Mike Ranen is associate dean for academic administration. He earned a BA in chemistry from Haverford College and a PhD from Harvard University, where he studied the chemical composition of meteorites to understand the formation of the solar system.
This story first appeared in the Fall 2026 issue of Bowdoin Magazine. Manage your subscription and see other stories from the magazine on the Bowdoin Magazine website.
