Spanakopita
Golden, flaky filo pastry encasing a savoury filling of tender greens, sharp Greek feta, eggs, and aromatic fresh dill.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 75 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 410 kcal
Equipment
- •Baking dish (approx. 20x30 cm)
- •Large frypan
- •Mixing bowl
- •Pastry brush
- •Clean tea towel
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 410 kcal
- fat
- 25 g
- carbs
- 32 g
- fibre
- 3 g
- protein
- 14 g
- calories
- 410 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Heat the olive oil in a large frypan over medium heat.
- 2
Add the brown onion and spring onions, cooking until soft and sweet.
- 3
Add the chopped spinach in batches, cooking until completely wilted.
- 4
Transfer the spinach to a colander and squeeze out all excess liquid thoroughly once cool.
- 5
In a large mixing bowl, combine the squeezed spinach, feta, ricotta, eggs, dill, nutmeg, and black pepper.
- 6
Preheat your oven to 180 degrees C fan-forced and brush the baking dish with melted butter.
- 7
Layer 8 sheets of filo into the dish, brushing each individual sheet with melted butter.
- 8
Spread the spinach and cheese filling evenly over the pastry base.
- 9
Layer the remaining filo sheets on top, brushing each sheet with melted butter as you go.
- 10
Score the top pastry layers into portions with a sharp knife and bake for 45 minutes until golden and crisp.
Chef's tips
Thaw filo pastry slowly in the fridge overnight to prevent the delicate sheets from cracking. Ensure you squeeze out as much moisture as possible from the cooked spinach so the pastry base stays crisp.
Ingredient substitutions
- English spinach → fresh silverbeet (chard) with the thick white stalks removed
- ricotta → equal quantity of Greek myzithra cheese or extra crumbled feta
- melted butter → extra virgin olive oil for brushing between pastry sheets
Storage
Store leftover spanakopita in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheating
Reheat uncovered on a baking tray in an oven at 180 degrees C for 10 to 15 minutes to re-crisp the pastry.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Leaving excess moisture in the spinach, which causes the bottom pastry layers to turn soggy.
- •Leaving raw filo pastry sheets uncovered on the bench, causing them to dry out and shatter.
- •Forgetting to score the top filo layers before baking, making neat slicing impossible once crisp.
Serving suggestions
Cooked Spanakopita?
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