Spanakopita (Greek Spinich Pie)
Foolproof family recipe for Spanakopita! Delicious savory Greek pie made of perfectly crispy layers of phyllo dough and a comforting filling of spinach and feta cheese.
Ingredients
- 16 oz frozen chopped spinach thawed and well-drained
- 2 bunches flat-leaf parsley stems trimmed, finely chopped
- 1 large yellow onion finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tbsp Private Reserve extra virgin olive oil
- 4 eggs
- ½ cup pine nuts toasted
- 10.5 oz quality feta cheese crumbled
- 2 tsp dried dill weed
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp oregano
- Lemon juice of a half
- 1 tsp. Honey Bee Artisans honey
- Freshly-ground black pepper
- ½ 16 oz package #4 pastry sheets, properly thawed (see tips above)
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil more if needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
- Before you begin mixing the filling, be sure the spinach is very well drained, and squeeze out any excess liquid by hand.
- To make the filling: To a saucepan, add the spinach onions and garlic. Cook until the onions are translucent. Cool. Add the remaining filling ingredients. Stir until all is well-combined.
- Unroll the phyllo (fillo) sheets and place them between two slightly damp kitchen cloths.
- Prepare a 9 1/2" X 13" baking dish. Brush the bottom and sides of the dish with olive oil.
To Assemble the Spanakopita:
- Line the baking dish with two sheets of phyllo (fillo) letting them cover the sides of the dish. Brush with olive oil. Add two more sheets in the same manner, and brush them with olive oil. Repeat until half of the phyllo (fillo) is used up.
- Now, evenly spread the spinach and feta filling over the phyllo (fillo) crust. Top with two more sheets, and brush with olive oil.
- Continue to layer the phyllo (fillo) sheets, two-at-a-time, brushing with olive oil, until you have used up all the sheets. Brush the very top layer with olive oil, and sprinkle with just a few drops of water.
- Fold the flaps or excess from the sides, you can crumble them a little. Brush the folded sides well with olive oil. Cut Spanakopita ONLY PART-WAY through into squares, or leave the cutting to later.
- Bake in the 325 degrees F heated-oven for 1 hour, or until the phyllo (fillo) crust is crisp and golden brown. Remove from the oven. Finish cutting into squares and serve. Enjoy!
Notes
- Tips about Phyllo: Phyllo is paper thin and will break as you are working with it because it tends to dry out. To avoid this, place phyllo dough sheets in between two very slightly damp kitchen towels. Be sure to brush each layer with oil; don’t skimp.
- Make Ahead Tips: You can make Spanakopita the evening before. Just cover and refrigerate. When you are ready, go ahead and bake according to directions.
- Leftover Storing and Freezing Tips: If properly stored, already cooked Spanakopita will keep well for 2 to 3 days. Heat in medium-heated oven until warmed through. You can also divide leftover Spanakopita into portions and freeze for a later time. Warm in oven; no need to thaw in advance.
- What to Serve with Spanakopita? Spanakopita makes a great side dish for large holiday dinners next to lamb or lemon chicken. But it can easily stand alone as the main dish. Serve it with a big salad like Greek salad; Balela; or this Mediterranean chickpea salad, and favorite dips like Greek Tzatziki or Roasted Garlic Hummus.
