Spanakopita Greek Spinach Pie
Homemade Spanakopita (Greek Spinach Pie) is an easy and traditional recipe that's so simple to make with fresh flavorful ingredients and flaky filo dough.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds (680 g) fresh spinach or 2 pounds frozen spinach
- 6 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- ¼ cup sliced green onions
- ¼ cup chopped fresh dill
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup (125 g) sour cream
- ½ cup (130 g) feta cheese crumbled
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 16 ounce (450 g) package filo pastry
- Egg wash 1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons water
- Black and white sesame seeds optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C), or 160°C if using a fan oven.
- In a large skillet over medium heat. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and sautee the yellow onion until soft (3 minutes) then add green onions, dill, parsley, and garlic, and cook for another minute. Remove onto a bowl.
- In the same pan, in batches add and wilt the spinach with a little olive oil or a splash of water. Once wilted, remove from the skillet and thoroughly squeeze out excess moisture.
- Combine the spinach with the onion mixture in a large bowl. Add the eggs, sour cream, crumbled feta, salt, and pepper, and mix well.
- Brush the bottom and sides of a 9x13 inch (23x33 cm) baking pan with olive oil. Trim the filo pastry to the size of the pan if needed.
- Layer half of the filo pastry, brushing each with olive oil before adding the next. Cover the filo pastry with a damp towel until you use it all up so it does not dry out.
- Spread the spinach mixture evenly over the filo pastry. Top with the remaining sheets of filo, brushing each with olive oil.
- With a sharp knife, cut the pie into 12 pieces cutting all the way through.
- If using, brush the top with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Bake for 45 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and crisp. Allow to cool slightly before serving.
Notes
- Working with filo/phyllo dough: It's important to keep the dough from drying out while you're working with it. If it dries out it will break and crumble before it's even in the oven. Keep a damp towel nearby to cover the filo as needed while you're assembling the dish.
- Remove excess moisture: if the filling is too wet it will make the pastry soggy, so be sure to squeeze as much liquid out of the spinach (either fresh or frozen) before using it.
- Choose your pan: I'm using a glass baking dish to make this spinach pie because it keeps the bottom crust from getting too crispy. A metal pan will give you a darker, crispier bottom crust. Either way, the spanakopita is delicious!
- Egg wash: This step is technically optional, but if you bake this without the egg wash, the color won't be golden. I also like to add sesame seeds to the top, and the egg wash helps them stick.
- Leftover spanakopita stores very well! Keep cooked servings wrapped well and in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the fridge or 2 months in the freezer. Warm up the leftovers (either frozen or from the fridge) in the oven until heated through and crisp.
Nutrition
Calories: 249kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 58mg | Sodium: 515mg | Potassium: 419mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 5673IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 117mg | Iron: 3mg
Find it online: https://littlesunnykitchen.com/spanakopita-greek-spinach-pie/