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Spanakopita
Serves 6-8 Prep 30 min Cook 45 min Total 1 hr 15 min Type Meal Origin Greek

Spanakopita

Greek spinach and feta pie: layers of crisp filo enclosing a generously herbed spinach-and-cheese filling. Eats hot as a main, room temperature as a starter, cold from the fridge for breakfast.

Serves 6 Prep 30 minutes Cook 45 minutes Units Rate

Overview

Spinach wilts and squeezes dry; mixes with crumbled feta, ricotta, eggs, dill and spring onions. The filling goes between layers of filo brushed with melted butter; baked until the top shatter-crisps.

Ingredients

Filling

  • 1 kg fresh spinach (or 600 g frozen, thawed)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 onion (small, finely chopped)
  • 6 spring onions (sliced)
  • 4 garlic cloves (crushed)
  • 300 g feta cheese (crumbled)
  • 200 g ricotta cheese
  • 3 eggs (large, beaten)
  • A small bunch of dill (chopped)
  • A small bunch of parsley (chopped)
  • A grating of nutmeg
  • salt
  • pepper

Pastry

  • 270 g Filo Pastry (10-12 sheets)
  • 100 g unsalted butter (melted)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

Method

Stage 1 - Spinach

  1. Wilt the spinach in a dry pan in batches (or thaw frozen). Squeeze hard in a clean cloth to remove ALL liquid (this is structural - wet filling makes soggy pie). Chop roughly.

Stage 2 - Filling

  1. Heat the olive oil; cook the onion 5 minutes; add spring onions and garlic, cook 2 more minutes. Cool slightly.
  2. Mix with the spinach, feta, ricotta, eggs, dill, parsley, nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Stage 3 - Layer

  1. Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan).
  2. Combine the melted butter and oil in a small bowl.
  3. Brush a 30 x 20 cm baking dish with the butter mixture.
  4. Lay one filo sheet in the dish (let edges hang over); brush with butter mixture.
  5. Repeat with 5 more sheets, brushing each.
  6. Spread the spinach filling evenly.
  7. Top with 6 more filo sheets, each brushed with butter mixture.
  8. Tuck or fold the overhanging edges in to seal.

Stage 4 - Score and bake

  1. Score the top filo into serving portions with a sharp knife (don't cut all the way through).
  2. Bake 40-45 minutes until deep golden and crisp.
  3. Cool 10 minutes before serving (lets the filling set).

Notes

  • Squeeze the spinach DRY: This is the entire structural difference between good spanakopita and a wet sad one. Get it bone-dry.
  • Score before baking: Cuts cleanly through crisp filo. Trying to slice baked spanakopita shatters the top.
  • Filo dries fast: Keep unused sheets covered with a damp cloth as you work.

Storage

  • Keeps 3 days refrigerated; the filo softens. Re-crisp in a 180°C oven for 10 minutes.
  • Freezes well baked or unbaked for 2 months.

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