Spanakopita

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add the onion. Cook and stir until tender, three to five minutes. Add the garlic, then cook and stir for 1 minute longer. Stir in the spinach. Remove the skillet from the heat and let cool for five minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, feta, parsley, dill, mint if desired, salt and pepper. Stir the egg and feta mixture into the spinach mixture.

Brush a 13x9-inch baking dish with some of the remaining 1 cup oil. Unroll the phyllo dough. Layer eight sheets of phyllo in the prepared dish, brushing each sheet with oil. Press the dough up the sides of the pan if necessary. Keep the remaining phyllo covered with a damp towel to prevent it from drying out.

Spread the spinach mixture over the phyllo layers. Top it with the remaining phyllo sheets, brushing each sheet with oil. Cut 12 rectangles through only the top layer of the phyllo. Editor's Tip: Scoring the top phyllo dough helps the dish release steam so the spinach pie doesn't turn out soggy. Scoring also makes the soon-to-be-crisp phyllo much easier to cut later.

Bake until golden brown, 45 to 50 minutes. Let stand for five minutes before cutting.