Spanakopita (Greek Spinach and Feta Pie)

Before you start

Spanakopita is a Greek pie of spinach and cheese wrapped in filo. The filling is the heart of it: plenty of greens, briny feta, scallions and fresh dill bound with eggs. The pastry should shatter on top and stay crisp underneath, which means one rule above all others: get the water out of the spinach. Wet greens steam the bottom layers and turn them pasty.

The pie is often made in a large tray and cut into squares, but you can also fold the same filling into triangles. Olive oil, or a mix of oil and butter, is brushed between the sheets. Let the pie rest after baking so the egg-bound filling firms up and cuts cleanly.

Ingredients

• Filling1 kg (2.2 lb) fresh spinach — washed; or 600 g frozen chopped spinach, thawed
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion — finely chopped
• 6 scallions — thinly sliced
• 30 g (1 cup loosely packed) fresh dill — chopped
• 15 g (½ cup loosely packed) flat-leaf parsley — chopped
• 300 g (2 cups crumbled) feta cheese
• 3 large eggs — beaten
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 1 pinch nutmeg
• Pastry225 g (½ lb) filo pastry, about 16 sheets — thawed in the refrigerator
• 120 ml (½ cup) olive oil — or half olive oil and half melted butter

Method

1. Wilt the fresh spinach in batches in a large pot with a splash of water, about 2 minutes per batch. Drain in a colander and let it cool for 15 minutes. (Frozen spinach only needs thawing.)
2. Wrap the spinach in a clean towel and twist hard over the sink until almost no liquid drips out. Chop it. You should have about 400 g of dry, compact greens.
3. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil and cook the onion over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes, until soft and sweet. Add the scallions for the last minute. Cool slightly.
4. Combine the spinach, onion mixture, dill, parsley, feta, eggs, pepper and nutmeg. Taste a little of the mixture before the eggs go in for seasoning; feta varies in saltiness, so add salt only if needed.
5. Heat the oven to 190°C (375°F). Brush the dish with oil. Lay in 8 filo sheets, brushing each with oil and letting any excess hang over the sides.
6. Spread the filling evenly. Fold the overhanging edges over it, then cover with the remaining 8 sheets, oiling each one. Tuck the edges down the sides.
7. Score the top layers into 12 squares with a sharp knife, cutting through the pastry but not the filling. Sprinkle the top with a few drops of water to help prevent curling.
8. Bake 45 to 50 minutes, until deep golden and crisp, and the filling feels set when pressed lightly in the center. Rest for 15 minutes before cutting along the scored lines.

Tips for success

• Dry spinach is the difference between a crisp and a soggy bottom. Squeeze it in two rounds if needed.
• Keep the filo covered with plastic wrap and a damp towel while you layer. Sheets dry and crack in a few minutes of open air.
• Brushed oil should look like a thin sheen, not puddles. Too much fat makes the pastry greasy rather than crisp.

Substitutions

Spinach

Swap up to half for chard, beet greens or other tender greens, stems removed. Wilt and squeeze them the same way; they taste earthier.

Feta

Replace up to a third of the feta with ricotta or cottage cheese for a milder, creamier filling that is less salty.

Filo

Puff pastry works as a top and bottom crust; it puffs into a flakier, richer pie and bakes in about 40 minutes at 200°C (400°F).

Variations

Spanakopita triangles

Cut filo into 7 cm strips, place a spoonful of filling at one end and fold into triangles like a flag. Bake 20 to 25 minutes.

Leek and spinach pie

Replace the onion with two sliced leeks, cooked slowly in the oil until very soft.

Troubleshooting

Bottom crust is soggy

The spinach held too much water or the dish was glass and slow to heat. Squeeze the greens thoroughly and bake on the lower rack.

Top layers curled and blew off

The top sheets were dry or under-oiled. Brush every sheet, score before baking and sprinkle a little water over the top.

Filling is runny when cut

It was underbaked or cut while hot. Bake until set in the middle and rest for 15 minutes before slicing.

Storage

Spanakopita is best the day it is baked. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container within 2 hours and eat within 3 to 4 days. Reheat uncovered at 175°C (350°F) for about 15 minutes, to 74°C (165°F) in the center, to bring back the crisp top. The unbaked pie can be frozen for up to 2 months and baked from frozen with 15 to 20 minutes added.

Safety notes

The filling contains raw eggs until baked; bake until the center is set and hot. Refrigerate leftovers promptly and reheat to 74°C (165°F). Contains wheat, egg and milk.