spanakopita

Foolproof family recipe for Spanakopita! Delicious savory Greek pie made of perfectly crispy layers of phyllo dough and a comforting filling of spinach and feta cheese.

Spanakopita Recipe (Greek Spinach Pie)

oz frozen chopped spinach,

flat-leaf parsley, stems trimmed, finely chopped

yellow onion, finely chopped

garlic cloves,

tbsp Private Reserve extra virgin olive oil

eggs

10.5 oz quality feta cheese, crumbled

dill weed

Freshly-ground black pepper

Private Reserve extra virgin olive oil, more if needed

Before you begin mixing the filling, be sure the spinach is very well drained, and squeeze out any excess liquid by hand.

To make the filling: In a mixing bowl, add the spinach and the remaining filling ingredients. Stir until all is well-combined.

Unroll the phyllo (fillo) sheets and place them between two slightly damp kitchen cloths.

Prepare a 9 1/2" X 13" baking dish like this one. Brush the bottom and sides of the dish with olive oil.

To assemble the spanakopita: Line the baking dish with two sheets of phyllo (fillo) letting them cover the sides of the dish. Brush with olive oil. Add two more sheets in the same manner, and brush them with olive oil. Repeat until two-thirds of the phyllo (fillo) is used up.

Now, evenly spread the spinach and feta filling over the phyllo (fillo) crust. Top with two more sheets, and brush with olive oil.

Continue to layer the phyllo (fillo) sheets, two-at-a-time, brushing with olive oil, until you have used up all the sheets. Brush the very top layer with olive oil, and sprinkle with just a few drops of water.

Fold the flaps or excess from the sides, you can crumble them a little. Brush the folded sides well with olive oil. Cut Spanakopita ONLY PART-WAY through into squares, or leave the cutting to later.

Bake in the 325 degrees F heated-oven for 1 hour, or until the phyllo (fillo) crust is crisp and golden brown. Remove from the oven. Finish cutting into squares and serve. Enjoy!

This is a good recipe for Spanikopita, I changed a few things (used butter for layering phyllo), used 1/3 cup of chopped fresh dill and skipped parsley since I didn't have any - also sauteed the onions and a little garlic.  What makes this so good is you can use thawed spinach and it doesn't need to be cooked so it tastes fresher - overall the recipe was DELISH - also I used 20 ounces of frozen chopped spinach which probably compensated for not having the parsley.

I have made this recipe a number of times and it comes out a smash hit every time. I'm quite generous with the garlic and cheese, since I feel like that is where the unique delicious flavor comes from. I also saute a large box of fresh spinach with coconut or olive oil and then drain it in a collander while I combine the other ingredients. My kids who are NOT fans of vegetables LOVE this recipe. That makes it a terrific hit with me! 

TIP #1: For those doing this the first time: I tried brushing the oil on the layers and felt a bit frustrated. It took so long. Also, the sheets are so big that I struggled handling them without them tearing, and the ends were difficult to tuck. I found a spray bottle of olive oil, and now I unroll the phyllo, spray half the sheet, fold it in half and lay it folded in the pan. Then I spray the top of that half sheet in the pan, and keep repeating on the following layers. It goes SO FAST that way, and it works great.

TIP #2: When she says only cut partway through, this means that if you don't pre-cut it before you bake it, the flaky crust will disintegrate when you try to cut it after you bake it. Always cut the top layers and even into the bottom layers a bit before baking so that you get beautiful squares. 

EXCELLENT RECIPE!

Limit parsley to no more than 1/2 a cup. I used WAY too much the first time. Also sautéing the onions, garlic and parsley first helps cut the ‘green’ taste. Adding 1/2 cup green onions, 1/2 cup of ricotta, 1/2 tsp of nutmeg instead of dill and 1 tbsp of lemon juice takes it up a notch.

If all you want is a decent approximation at spanakopita, then this will do that for you. It’s not great- very 2-dimensional flavor-wise. I added in some lemon juice and used fresh dill and that helped a lot but otherwise...pretty meh. Not enough cheese and this did not make enough filling for a 13x9 pan! I had 3 very wimpy layers. I think next time I’ll definitely sauté the onions, garlic and spinach first (even with frozen spinach) to give it more flavor- and definitely MORE CHEESE- heck I’d double this filling recipe honestly- but the flavors need work. Also 4 eggs is a LOT OF EGGS- use 2 and add more of everything else- ESPECIALLY CHEESE.

This was so good! I ended up adding garlic and a little less feta (the husband doesn't like it very much) and it was amazing!

Great recipe....very adaptable to more or less as you like. Even adding ricotta and green onions...I have dabbled several times with different versions. Each one was throughly enjoyed. Also try it with Tzatziki....yummy...even easy enough for begginers...impress your friends with this!! Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe!!!

This recipe was amazing!  I was afraid to try it at first, but turned out so delicious.  I used swiss chard instead because we grew so much in our garden and didn't know what to do with it.  I will definitely do this again.  Thank you so much!

This is a GREAT spanakopita recipe!! I did use butter in place of EVOO on the phyllo layers, but followed all other directions exactly. It was a huge hit! the layers were flaky, the insides were a perfect. SO GOOD! Thank you!

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/OutC2XkQ.mp4

Spinach/Spanakopita

The authentic Greek recipe for spanakopita, spinach and cheese pie. A baked spinach pie  with herbs and feta cheese covered with crunchy phyllo. Easy to make and healthy.

Authentic Greek Spinach and Feta Pie - Spanakopita

spinach (thawed)

onion

olive oil

parsley

dill

mint (or 2 tbs dry)

nutmeg

sugar

feta

phyllo

Preheat oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 Celsius)

Heat a medium pan with one tablespoon olive oil.

Sauté the onions until soft.

Add the spinach (make sure you have squeezed out the water).

Sauté spinach with onion for a few minutes.

Add the herbs, nutmeg and sugar and sauté for 2-3 minutes more. Set aside and let it cool.

Grate half of the feta and crumble the rest.

In a small bowl beat the egg and add the feta.

Add the egg mixture to the spinach and add the other tablespoon of olive oil. Mix so that all the ingredients are blended.

Brush a pan that is about 10 X 15 inches with olive oil.

Place a sheet of phyllo in the pan and brush with olive oil. Repeat with 5 more phyllo sheets.

Spread the spinach mixture evenly.

Cover with 6 more phyllo sheets brushing each one with olive oil. Cut the phyllo hanging over the pan or roll in.

Score the top with a knife (do not cut all the way through, just through the top phyllo sheets) for about 10-12 pieces.

Bake for about 40 minutes until phyllo is golden.

Remove from oven and let the pita cool. Cut in pieces.

Enjoy at room temperature or if you want the phyllo crunchy, warm in the oven before serving.

This spanakopita recipe is sauteed spinach, feta cheese and seasonings, all wrapped up in phyllo dough and baked until golden brown and crisp. A savory and hearty appetizer or main course option that always gets rave reviews!

Spanakopita

olive oil (divided use)

spinach leaves

onion (finely chopped)

onions

garlic

feta cheese (crumbled)

egg (lightly beaten)

salt and pepper

phyllo dough sheets (thawed)

butter (melted)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add half the spinach to the pan and cook until wilted. Add the remaining spinach to the pan.

Cook for 3-4 minutes until all of the spinach is wilted.

Remove the spinach from the pan and let it cool. Wring out excess water. Coarsely chop the spinach.

Wipe out the pan with a paper towel. Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.

Add the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes or until softened. Stir in the green onions, garlic, parsley and dill and cook for 30 seconds.

Transfer the onion mixture to a bowl along with the chopped spinach, feta cheese and egg. Season generously with salt and pepper to taste. Stir until thoroughly combined.

Take the phyllo dough out of the package and unroll it onto a flat surface. Keep the phyllo covered with plastic wrap or a damp towel when you&#x27;re not working with it.

Lay out one sheet of dough with the long end facing you. Brush the melted butter over the dough.

Add a second layer of dough on top of the first, then brush the second layer with butter.

Cut the dough vertically into 3 inch wide strips.

Place 1 1/2 teaspoons of filling on one end of the dough strip. Fold one corner of the dough over the filling to make a triangle shape.

Fold the strip of dough over itself the same way you&#x27;d fold a flag until you reach the end. Brush a little melted butter over the top and place the triangle on the prepared sheet pan.

Repeat the process with the remaining dough and filling.

Arrange the triangles 1 1/2 inches apart on the sheet pans. Bake one pan at a time for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately.

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/QJAOvoSP.mp4

Recipe video above. Spanakopita - the iconic traditional Greek Spinach Pie with layers upon layers of golden buttery flaky filo pastry. For the best Spanakopita of your life, use raw rather than cooked spinach, and layer the phyllo pastry with finely shredded Greek cheese so it sticks together rather than flying everywhere when you cut it!This pie is a perfect thickness with a good ratio of Spinach Feta filling to pastry. It will serve 4 to 5 people as a main dish.

300 grams/10 ounces English spinach leaves

tsp salt

Greek feta (, crumbled)

Greek yoghurt

green onions / scallions (, finely sliced)

tbsp mint (, finely chopped)

tbsp dill (, finely chopped)

lemon

lemon juice

garlic (, finely chopped)

tsp nutmeg (, freshly grated)

tsp black pepper

cayenne pepper

filo pastry ((Note 2))

120 grams/ 8 tbsp butter (, melted)

/ 2/3 cup Greek Kefalotyri cheese (, finely grated (sub parmesan, Note 3))

tsp white sesame seeds ((or more black))

tsp black sesame seeds ((or more white))

Preheat oven to 220°C/430°F (200°C fan). Line a tray with baking paper / parchment paper.

Sweat spinach: Place spinach in a large colander or bowl. Sprinkle with salt, toss through. Leave for 10 minutes to sweat.

Wring out water: Place a handful of spinach in a tea towel, then wring out tightly to remove excess water.

Filling: Place spinach in a bowl with remaining Filling ingredients. Mix well to combine.

Filling:

Trim filo: Cut 16 sheets of filo pastry into 32 x 25cm / 13 x 10&quot; (pictured) or 26cm / 10.5&quot; square.

8 base layers: Layer 8 sheets of filo pastry on the tray, brushing each layer with melted butter.

Filling: Spread filling on filo pastry. Smooth surface and leave a 2.5cm / 1&quot; border.

8 Filo topping layers (Note 4): Cover spinach with a sheet of filo pastry. Brush with butter, sprinkle with Kefalotyri. Repeat for Sheets #2 to #5. Then cover with filo sheets #6 to #8, brushing with butter in between, but do NOT sprinkle with cheese (neater finish).

Seal: Press edges down to seal. Crimp and trim if desired (see process steps in post or video) or just leave the edges flat on the tray.

Sesame seeds: Brush the top with butter, sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Bake: Bake 25 minutes, or until golden brown on the surface.

Serve! Serve immediately! It is at its absolute prime fresh out of the oven, though still good as long as its hot (~15 min or so). The base does lose crispiness as it cools.

Assembly:

Do you enjoy beef wellington but loathe the cook time required? Simplify the dish without losing its taste with our Beef Wellington Spanakopita Bites.

Beef Wellington Spanakopita Bites

beef

mushrooms

tbsp. chopped Shallot

garlic clove, chopped

Sea salt, divided

black pepper, divided

Fat-free feta, crumbled

phyllo pastry

Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with cooking spray.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook beef until brown and crumbly.

In a food processor, pulse mushrooms, shallots, and garlic until the mixture is minced.

Add minced mushrooms, 1 tsp. thyme, soy sauce, ½ tsp. salt and ⅛ tsp. pepper to skillet with the beef. Stir well. Then let the mushroom mixture cook without stirring for 3 minutes. Stir once and let cook until all the liquid is absorbed. Turn off the heat.

Stir spinach and feta into the beef mixture.

Place Phyllo pastry on a baking dish and cook for about 5 minutes until hot.

Fill Phyllo cups with ½ tbsp. of filling and serve.

This buttery Greek spanakopita is so easy to make at home. Check out the recipe on Delish.com! 

Best-Ever Spanakopita

(10-oz.) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed

onion, finely chopped

green onions, thinly sliced

garlic,

oregano

red pepper flakes (optional)

Kosher salt

black pepper

c. dill

c. crumbled feta

nutmeg (optional)

(17"-x-12") phyllo sheets, thawed if frozen

c. (1 1/2 sticks) melted butter

<blockquote>The recipe was really easy to follow along, and the video helped too. The spinach mixture is really flavorful. Spanakopita is my favorite food, and this tastes authentic, like from a restaurant. </blockquote>

I've made these 3 times now and finally seem to be able to manage the phyllo dough. They are very tasty. My husband takes 5 of them in his lunch each day that I have them. I always save a few for myself.

I just made them.  I added a little garlic powder and left the nutmeg out.  They are absolutely outstanding.  I yielded 30 pieces.  I have to admit though,. I only had to cook them for 15 minutes.  Maybe my oven was running hot.

https://streaming.hearstdigitalstudios.com/948f810c-a3cc-4575-aadd-f9fa90d849a7/video_rover_16x9_1080p_hd_1551281641_59220.mp4

This Spanakopita Is SO Much Better Than Store Bought

Vegan Spanakopita. My take on the great Greek spinach and feta pie! Featuring shatteringly crisp phyllo pastry, and a soft, salty, feta-cheesy, spinachy filling, all baked up to golden perfection. Comfort food at it&#039;s finest.

Vegan Spanakopita

spinach

(about 500 g / 18 oz) Vegan Feta Cheese

onion (chopped finely)

garlic (minced very finely)

/ 25 g fresh parsley (, chopped)

mint

lemon (, zest only)

/ 120 mls olive oil butter

Defrost the unopened package of phyllo pastry in the refrigerator overnight, or at room temperature for about 4 hours. Do not open it until you are going to assemble the pie.

Heat a large sauté pan with 1 teaspoon of olive oil or butter, over a medium low heat and add the spinach. It will be piled ridiculously high, but within a few minutes it will wilt down. Use tongs to move it about and keep it cooking until it is completely wilted down, soft and dark green. it will take about 5 minutes. Remove it from the heat and allow to cool.

Once the spinach is cool, take handfuls and squeeze it out over the sink until as much liquid as you can is removed. Place each handful in a large mixing bowl once you're done.

To the spinach, add the vegan feta cheese, chopped onion, minced garlic, parsley, mint, lemon zest, nutmeg and pepper. Mix it all together really well.

Grease an 8 inch x 12 inch or 9 inch x 13 inch (or similar) oven proof dish with a little of the olive oil or melted vegan butter and preheat the oven to 350 °F (175 °C).

Open the phyllo pastry and lay it out flat on the counter. Have a clean, damp dish towel ready to cover it with to stop it drying out and getting brittle. If the sheets are way more than double the size of your dish cut them all in half right down the middle, otherwise just use them as they are. Some overhang is good. Brush the top sheet of phyllo with oil or melted butter and gently lift it and lay it in the centre of the oven proof dish. Keep the remaining sheets covered with the damp cloth. Push the pastry sheet down gently into the dish, letting the excess hang evenly over the sides. Don't worry if some of it falls back down the sides and into the bottom of the dish. Repeat, brushing each sheet with a little oil or butter and laying them on top of each other in the dish until you have used about half of the sheets. If any of them tear, just keep going. It doesn't matter. There will be lots of layers so by the time you are done it will fine.

Spoon the spinach filo mixture on to the pastry layers in the dish and spread it out flat with a spatula then scrunch up the edges of the overhanging pastry and arrange them around the edge of the filling.

Now you need to brush each of the remaining phyllo sheets with oil or butter and take each one and scrunch it up loosely in your hand, then lay it gently on top of the feta spinach filling. Keep going until they are all used, then gently tweak them a bit to cover any big gaps. A few little gaps are fine.

Put the pie in the oven and bake for 25 minutes. Open the oven, turn it around (to make sure it bakes evenland bake for a further 15 - 20 minutes or until very golden brown and crispy.

Allow to cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before you try to cut it.

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/EGjcXgWt.mp4

Vegan Spanakopita. My take on the great Greek spinach and feta pie! Featuring shatteringly crisp phyllo pastry, and a soft, salty, feta-cheesy, spinachy filling, all baked up to golden perfection. Comfort food at its finest.

These spanakopita rolls are incredibly adaptable. They make a satisfying dinner, served alongside a tangy tomato, chickpea and dill salad. You can eat the rolls alone and leftovers are great for kid's' lunch boxes.

Hetty McKinnon's spanakopita rolls with tomato, chickpea and dill salad

English spinach,

red onion, finely chopped

(about 25 grams) mint, leaves

Greek feta cheese

Sea salt and black pepper

puff pastry, thawed completely

garlic, grated

extra virgin olive oil

(1 punnet) cherry tomatoes, halved

(about 250 grams) chickpeas, drained

Place a large pot on medium-high heat. Heap all the spinach into the pot, add a splash of water and cover with lid. Cook for about two minutes, stirring once or twice, until wilted. Drain in colander and rinse with cold water. When cool enough to handle, squeeze out as much moisture as you can (this will make sure your puff pastry doesn't get soggy later). Place on a chopping board and chop it finely. Place all the spinach in a medium mixing bowl.

To the spinach, add red onion, garlic, mint, and dill. Crumble in the feta (I just squeeze it with my hands until it crumbles into small pieces) and using clean hands or a large spoon, mix until very well combined. Add about one teaspoon of salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if needed. When you are happy with the seasoning, add one egg and mix again until combined.

Line two baking trays with baking paper. Preheat oven to 200˚C.

Make an egg wash by adding the remaining egg into a small bowl. Add one tablespoon of water and whisk until combined. Set aside.

Place one piece of puff pastry on a clean surface. If your pastry is super soft and is sticking, dust the bench with a little flour. Cut the pastry in half, into two equal sized rectangles. Spoon one quarter of the spinach mixture along the long length of pastry that is closest to you, moulding it into a sausage shape (see image above). Brush the beaten egg along the pastry edge furthest from you, then fold the pastry over to enclose the filling, pressing it into the egg washed edge. Turn it over so that the seam is on the bottom. Repeat with the remaining pastry and filling, until you have four long rolls. Cut each roll into three equal pieces.

Place the rolls on the prepared baking tray, brush with the egg wash and sprinkle with nigella or sesame seeds. Bake for 2025 minutes, or until golden. Refrigerate leftover rolls in an airtight container for up to four days.

Prepare the salad by placing the garlic, lemon juice, zest, dill, olive oil and about ½ teaspoon of salt into a medium serving bowl. Whisk to combine. Add the tomato and chickpeas straight into the dressing and toss to combine. Taste and check if you need more salt. Season with black pepper.

Serve spanakopita rolls alongside the tomato and chickpea salad.

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