Spanakopita (Greek Spinach Pie)

About This Recipe

Spanakopita is one of Greece's most beloved dishes — eaten for breakfast, lunch or as a snack. The combination of mineral-rich spinach, salty crumbled feta and fragrant dill, wrapped in shatteringly crisp filo pastry, is one of the perfect flavour combinations in Mediterranean cooking.

Ingredients

Serves 8

• 500 gfresh spinach(or 300g frozen, thawed and squeezed)
• 300 gfeta cheese(crumbled)
• 1onion(finely diced)
• 4spring onions(sliced)
• 3eggs
• Large bunchfresh dill(chopped)
• Small bunchflat-leaf parsley(chopped)
• 1/2 tspfreshly grated nutmeg
• 12 sheetsfilo pastry
• 100 mlolive oil or melted butter(for brushing)
• 2 tbspolive oil(for the filling)

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the spinach

   If using fresh spinach, wilt in a pan with no water over high heat. Cool and squeeze out every drop of moisture — wet spinach makes soggy pastry. Chop roughly.

2. 2

   Make the filling

   Sauté onion in olive oil until soft. Cool. Mix with spinach, feta, spring onions, eggs, dill, parsley and nutmeg. Season with pepper (feta provides the salt).

   Taste the filling before adding eggs — feta is very salty, you may need very little or no additional salt.

3. 3

   Layer the filo base

   Brush a 30×20cm baking dish with oil. Lay 6 filo sheets, brushing each with oil/butter. Let edges hang over the sides.

4. 4

   Fill and top

   Spread filling evenly. Fold overhanging filo back over the filling. Lay remaining 6 sheets on top, brushing each. Tuck edges under. Score the top layer into portions with a sharp knife.

5. 5

   Bake

   Bake at 180°C for 40–45 minutes until deeply golden and crackling. Rest 10 minutes before cutting through completely.

Variations

• •

  Tiropita: replace spinach with extra feta for a pure cheese pie.

• •

  Add kalamata olives and sun-dried tomatoes to the filling.

Storage

Keeps 4 days refrigerated. Reheat in the oven at 160°C to restore crispiness — never microwave.

Frequently Asked Questions