Easy Spanakopita (Greek Spinach Pie)

Name: Spanakopita (Greek Spinach Pie)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: 16 ounces of fresh or frozen spinach; 2 bunches of finely chopped parsley; 1 finely chopped onion; 1/2 bunch of thinly sliced scallion; 2 cloves of minced garlic; 1 cup of olive oil; 4 tablespoons of melted unsalted butter; 4 egg; 10 ounces of feta cheese; 2 teaspoons of dill; 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg; 1/2 teaspoon of salt; 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper; 16 ounces of phyllo dough

Greek / Main Dish

October 15, 2022

Authentic Greek Spanakopita Recipe made with spinach, feta cheese and fresh herbs! A delicious and satisfying dish that you can serve as a main dish or side dish.

Spanakopita or Greek Spinach Pie is prepared with phyllo sheets and spinach-white cheese filling. It is a classic Greek dish. It is an easy and delicious recipe to make. A hearty and delicious meal with buttered phyllo sheets and stuffing!

Try this traditional Greek dish at home. Serve the Spanakopita with Greek salad.

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Recipe Contents

Equipments Tips Ingredients Directions Nutrition

Difficulty Easy

Servings 8 people

Preparation 20 mins

Cooking 40 mins

Total 60 mins

Equipment for this recipe

Measuring Cup

Mixing Bowls

Baking Set

Dish Towel

Tips

You can use fresh or frozen spinach. Using frozen spinach is easier, but fresh spinach tastes better.
Make sure to squeeze the moisture out of the spinach to avoid a soggy spinach pie.
You can use phyllo or puff pastry dough. You can buy it ready-made or make your own dough at home.
Working with sheets of phyllo can be quite tricky indeed. It’s paper-thin and will break if you’re just a little too rough with it. For the best results, place the sheets between two very slightly damp kitchen towels before you start working with them. That will hydrate it enough to allow for good flexibility in the dough.
Thaw the dough properly. If you use store-bought dough, thoroughly thaw frozen filo or phyllo dough in the refrigerator for about 12 hours before cooking.
You can also make spanakopita the night before if you prefer. Follow the recipe to the cooking step. Then, cover with a damp towel and set aside to cool.When ready to eat, cook as the recipe suggests.

Ingredients

16 ounces of fresh or frozen spinach
2 bunches of finely chopped parsley
1 finely chopped onion
1/2 bunch of thinly sliced scallion
2 cloves of minced garlic
1 cup of olive oil
4 tablespoons of melted unsalted butter
4 egg
10 ounces of feta cheese
2 teaspoons of dill
1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
16 ounces of phyllo dough

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 °F (190 °C).
Wash the chopped spinach very well. If you're using frozen spinach, thaw it completely before squeezing out the excess water. Drain the spinach before mixing the filling.
Heat ½ cup of the olive oil in a large saute pan.
Add the onion, green onion, and garlic to the pan. Cook until the onions are soft and translucent.
Then add spinach, parsley, and dill. Add nutmeg to the spinach mixture and stir to combine the ingredients. Season with salt, pepper and other fresh herbs to taste. Cook for 5–10 minutes, or until the spinach wilts and warms through. If using frozen spinach, cook it until the excess moisture has evaporated.
Remove the pan from the heat and let the spinach mixture cool.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the feta cheese and eggs. Season with salt and pepper to taste. To combine all of the ingredients, add the chilled spinach mixture to the chilled spinach mixture and stir to combine.
Mix the melted butter and olive oil in a bowl. Using a brush, lightly grease a 9 x 12 inch rectangular baking pan.
Using kitchen scissors or a sharp knife, cut the dough in half. To prevent them from drying out, cover the phyllo with oiled paper and a damp paper towel.
Layer the phyllo sheets in the baking dish, covering the edges of the plate. Apply olive oil on them. Then add two more sheets in the same way and brush with olive oil. Repeat this process until all 2/3 of the dough is finished.
Then spread the filling evenly over the dough. For the top layer, put two more sheets on top and spread the butter-olive oil mixture on them.
Before baking, cut the dough into slices without piercing the filling to allow easier cutting of the pieces later.
Bake in the oven for 35–40 minutes, or until the dough is golden brown.
Serve it hot.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 Spanakopita (Greek Spinach Pie)

Serves 8

Amount Per Serving

Calories390

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 29.6 g37.9%

Cholesterol 86 mg28.7%

Sodium 623 mg27.1%

Protein 9.3 g18.6%

Potassium 317 mg6.7%

*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

What Is Spanakopita?

Spanakopita is a wonderfully Greek pie that’s delicious, crispy, and packed with flavor. The filling is principally made with cheese, as well as a lot of other odds and ends from the kitchen.

The true hallmark of good spanakopita is the pastry. It should make use of filo pastry, and be well and truly crispy, not to mention beautifully golden-brown and flaky.

What To Serve with Spanakopita?

You can serve this wonderful spanakopita as a main course or side dish.

Here are our other delicious recipes that you can serve with Spanakopita:

How To Store Spanakopita?

Already cooked Spanakopita will keep well in the refrigerator for two to three days. Beyond this point, we recommend discarding it as it contains eggs, which is always a bit of a concern from a food safety point of view.

Can Spanakopita be Frozen? Yes. You can freeze the spanakopita before cooking. After putting the filling ingredients in the dough, wrap the pastries in cling film or aluminum foil. Then you can store it in the freezer in a freezer bag or in an airtight container for 1 month. Thanks to this, the pastry will be crispy and moist. You can also freeze cooked spanakopita. However, the pie will not be crispy.

How To Reheat Spanakopita? To reheat the spanakopita, preheat the oven to 320 °F (160 °C). Line the baking tray with parchment paper. Place the pastries in a single layer on the baking tray. Heat the pie for 12-15 minutes, or until it is warm.

Can Spanakopita Be Made Ahead? Yes. You can make spanakopita in advance; Prepare the recipe up to the cooking step in advance. Then cover and cook when ready. However, we recommend that you do this at least one day in advance, because at this point the egg will be raw in the filling, which is even more risky for food safety.

Recipe byPetite Gourmets