Greek pies
Spanakopita: Greek spinach and feta pie
Bake Greek spanakopita with crisp phyllo, spinach and feta. A recipe for eight with guidance for a well-drained filling and golden pastry.
Good spanakopita has pastry that breaks into delicate flakes and a filling that holds together without becoming heavy. The contrast comes from controlling the spinach moisture and brushing the phyllo lightly, rather than adding excessive fat.
This recipe uses ready-made phyllo and a metal baking tin of about 24 × 32 cm. Fresh spinach, feta, spring onions and dill make a savoury filling that needs little more than a salad alongside.
LET’S COOK
Ingredients & method
Total time, including resting: 1 h 40 min
- Preparation
- 30 min
- Cooking
- 50 min
- Resting / cooling
- 20 min
- Servings
- 8
Step by step
Heat the oven to 180°C conventional or 170°C fan. Soften the spring onions in 30 ml of oil, then add the spinach in batches and cook only until wilted.
Transfer the spinach to a sieve, let it cool and press out excess liquid. Chop roughly. Do not add the eggs while the spinach is hot.
Mix the cooled spinach with the feta, dill and eggs. Add pepper and season with salt cautiously, as feta already contributes plenty.
Oil the tin. Layer half the phyllo sheets, brushing each one lightly with oil and letting the edges overhang slightly. Keep unused sheets covered with a barely damp cloth, without direct contact with water.
Spread the filling evenly without compressing it. Cover with the remaining sheets, brushing between layers. Fold the edges in and score portions through the top layers without cutting through the base.
Bake for about 45 minutes, until the top and underside are golden. If the top colours too quickly, cover loosely with foil. Rest for 20 minutes before cutting.
SMALL DETAILS, BETTER RESULTS
Tips for a good result
Phyllo is different from puff pastry. Check the packet if you want thin, separate layers. Heavy pools of oil between sheets can weigh down the base; use a pastry brush. Frozen spinach can also work. Thaw and squeeze it thoroughly, aiming for roughly 350–400 g of well-drained spinach rather than substituting the fresh weight directly. Cutting the pie straight from the oven makes the filling more likely to spill.
Serving ideas
Serve warm with tomato and cucumber, or cut into smaller pieces for a meze spread. Reheat in the oven to help the base stay crisp. The recipe contains gluten, milk and eggs.
