Spanakopita – Greek filo pastry pie with spinach and feta Recipe
Spanakopita is a crispy pie made from thin filo pastry, filled with spinach, feta and herbs. In Greece it’s eaten hot or cold as a snack, breakfast, or a quick meal on the go. It’s something between a savoury tart and a large dumpling, only with many more crunchy layers.
Spanakopita is a popular Greek snack and main dish, sold in bakeries by the slice. At home it’s often baked in a large tray so you can feed family and guests with one big pie.
This spanakopita combines layers of ultra-crispy filo pastry with a rich, aromatic filling of spinach, real feta and fresh dill. It’s simple to assemble, bakes in one dish and can be served hot or cold, making it perfect for entertaining, meal prep or a quick, satisfying dinner.
Why this version works
- Thoroughly cooking off the moisture from the spinach and onion keeps the filo base from getting soggy.
- The mix of butter and olive oil gives a deep flavour and reduces the risk of the butter burning.
- Scoring only the top layers lets the upper sheets puff and separate beautifully while the base stays sturdy.
- The feta‑to‑spinach ratio gives a distinct cheesy flavour without the filling becoming overly salty.
Chef's tips
Make sure the spinach is well cooked down and most of the moisture has evaporated – a filling that is too wet will make the bottom layers of filo soggy. Work quickly with the filo and keep the sheets you’re not using yet covered with a clean, slightly damp kitchen towel so they don’t dry out and crack. Taste the filling before adding extra salt, as feta is naturally quite salty.
How to serve
Serve spanakopita with a simple Greek-style salad of tomatoes, cucumber, red onion and olives, dressed with olive oil and lemon juice. It also pairs well with a bowl of tzatziki or thick natural yogurt and some fresh herbs on top. For a more substantial meal, add roasted vegetables or a light soup as a starter.
Watch out for
- Don’t salt the filling before adding the feta – it’s easy to overdo it, so season only after tasting.
- If the filo turns dull and starts cracking as you unfold it, cover it immediately with a damp cloth.
- Too thick a layer of filling (more than about 2.5 cm) makes it harder to cook through and can cause the base to steam and go soggy.
Substitutions
- You can replace part of the feta with semi‑fat (reduced‑fat) farmer’s cheese or cottage cheese, lowering the amount of added salt.
- You can supplement the dill with flat‑leaf parsley if you prefer a milder, less intense dill aroma.
- Frozen spinach blocks can replace fresh spinach, but after thawing you must squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
Ingredients
- filo pastry frozen or chilled, about 10–12 sheets - 250 g
- spinach fresh or frozen, chopped - 600 g
- feta cheese real feta, not feta-style cheese - 250 g
- onion medium - 1 piece
- garlic - 2 cloves
- egg one for the filling, one for brushing the top - 2 pieces
- fresh dill finely chopped - 2 tablespoons
- olive oil for frying and brushing the pastry - 5 tablespoons
- butter melted, for brushing the pastry, optional - 40 g
- salt to taste, carefully as feta is salty
- black pepper to taste
Preparation
- If you are using frozen filo pastry, take it out of the freezer according to the instructions on the packet so it can thaw gently. Preheat the oven to 180°C (top and bottom heat) and prepare a 20×30 cm baking tin.
- Peel the onion and cut it into a small dice. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying pan and fry the onion for 3–5 minutes over medium heat, until it softens and becomes slightly translucent, without browning at the edges.
- Add chopped or pressed garlic and fry for about 30 seconds more, until it smells intense but stays pale. If it starts to brown, immediately lower the heat.
- If you are using fresh spinach, wash it, dry it and roughly chop it. Add it to the pan in batches, stirring until it wilts and clearly reduces in volume; if you are using frozen spinach, cook it until it is completely thawed and releases its water.
- Cook the spinach further without a lid until there are no puddles of liquid on the bottom and the mixture is only slightly moist and just starting to sizzle gently. Take off the heat and let cool for about 10 minutes, until distinctly warm but no longer hot.
- In a bowl, crumble the feta with a fork into small pieces. Add the cooled spinach with onion, finely chopped dill, one egg, pepper and, if needed, a pinch of salt. Mix – the filling should be compact, slightly moist but not runny.
- Lightly grease the baking tin with olive oil. Melt the butter and mix it with the remaining olive oil. Keep the filo sheets covered with a damp cloth – if the surface turns dull or starts to crack, it means they are drying out.
- Place the first sheet of filo pastry in the tin so that the edges overhang, and brush it lightly with the fat mixture. Repeat with the next sheets until you have 5–6 layers which, once brushed, look glossy, supple and not brittle.
- Spread all the filling over the base, smoothing it with a spoon to a thickness of about 2 cm, pressing down lightly to remove air pockets. The layer should be even right up to the edges, without higher mounds.
- Cover the filling with another sheet of filo, brush with fat and continue layering, brushing each sheet. Fold the overhanging edges inwards to create a thicker border; the top should be smooth, with no dry patches.
- Beat the second egg and brush it over the top. With a sharp knife, score only the top layers into squares or diamonds – after scoring, the sheets should open slightly, but don’t cut through the bottom so the filling doesn’t leak out.
- Bake for 35–40 minutes at 180°C, until the top is evenly golden, distinctly crisp and slightly puffed. If the edges brown faster than the centre, cover them loosely with foil or move the tin one rack lower in the oven.
Storage
No storage information available for this dish.
Spanakopita is one of those dishes that taste even better the next day, when the flavours of spinach, feta and herbs have had time to meld. I like to bake it in the evening and pack cold slices for lunch the following day – it holds its shape well and doesn’t need any special sides to be satisfying.
