Spanakopita

UPDATED JULY 2025* Last spring we spent some time in Greece and every day I had a Leek Pie (prasopita). They are so delicious. I was meaning to make Leek Pie for my Taverna Chic Dinner Party but I ended up not getting enough leeks. Happy accident, I cooked them anyways and threw them into my spanakopita filling and it was so good. Scroll down to variations for directions.

Spanakopita is a simple Greek spinach pie made with phyllo pastry, spinach, dill( I go heavy on the dill) and feta cheese. It is heaven. This recipe has a lot of meaning for me. I’ve touched on my story here and there on other posts. I’m an adoptee with Greek biological roots. I had absolutely zero knowledge of Greek culture or food until my late teens. It’s a very long story, but I will say that I learned this recipe around the time I connected with my roots, and for that reason it is special. My clients ( Greek and non Greek), friends and family are crazy for this and it is requested often. There are many ways you can work the phyllo to present this. I love making it into a big spiral because it is a wow, but I’ve also included other variations. I’m using store bought dough here because I’m not sure who has the time or inclination to make it from scratch 🙂

Prep time: 30 minutes

Baking time: 40-45 minutes

Special equipment: pastry brush, parchment paper

Ingredients

1 pkg phyllo dough thawed

2 packages frozen chopped spinach thawed and drained

1-1 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

3 eggs beaten

1-2 bunch whole green onions finely sliced

1 large bunch dill finely chopped (or 2 small)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon Freshly ground pepper

Pinch Freshly grated nutmeg

3/4 pound unsalted butter melted ( plus more if needed) OR olive oil

Sesame seeds for garnish optional

Instructions

Using a clean tea towel squeeze out any excess liquid from the spinach. This is the most important step!

In a large bowl combine feta, spinach, eggs, onions,dill ,salt, pepper and nutmeg. The best way to evenly mix is to use your hands. Note this won’t be a very wet mixture.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Open up the box of phyllo pastry and gently unwrap and unroll the sheets. If you are new to working with phyllo, cover the pile of sheets with a slightly damp tea towel to prevent them from drying and cracking. *When you’re working with the pastry it can tear easily. Don’t freak out just patch it back together and move on.

Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.

Take 1 sheet of phyllo and brush it with melted butter. Place another sheet on top and repeat. Take about a 1/2 cup of the spinach mixture and spread it evenly along the length of the pastry. Gently start to roll it until you are at the end. Brush with more butter, then gently start to form a spiral or coil. The butter will help soften it and prevent it from breaking. Transfer the spiral to the centre of your lined baking pan.

If you would like to make individual pies as a main for lunch or dinner you could repeat this process and get 9-10 mini spirals. If you want to continue to make a large one, repeat the steps and continue making logs and wrap them around the first coil where you left off and so on. You can let your pan dictate how big you want to make it.

Bake for 40-45 minutes until golden. Let cool 20-30 minutes before eating. Serve with tzaziki.

Variations

UPDATED* LEEK + SPINACH VARIATION – Sauté 3 chopped leeks (whites only) in olive oil with a pinch of salt until softened, about 8-9 minutes. Let cool and add to spinach mixture as directed in recipe above.

For spanakopita squares. In a greased 9 x 13 baking dish layer 8 sheets of butter brushed phyllo pastry. Spread the spinach mixture evenly on top then top with 8 more buttered sheets. Fold any over hanging pastry. Score the top into squares with a sharp knife going only about 1/2″ deep. Brush the top with butter. Bake for 45-50 minutes

For a strudel style spanakopita. Layer 4 sheets of buttered phyllo. Along the long edge spread one cup of filling leaving an inch on each side. Roll it and tuck in the sides then continue rolling. Place seam side down and score lightly depending how big you want your slices, without cutting all the way through then brush with more butter. Repeat with remaining filling . Bake for 30-45 minutes

[/recipe]