This incredibly flaky spanakopita (Greek Spinach Pie) is packed with the most rich mix of aromatic flavors commonly found in Greek cuisine. With layers of phyllo dough filled with a savory spinach feta cheese filling, this spinach pie is a delightful treat that will leave you wanting more!
This post is sponsored in partnership with Filippo Berio. However, all expressed thoughts and opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that help make Nourished Endeavors possible.
What is Spanakopita?
In an effort to bring more awareness to the Mediterranean diet (a diet rich in produce like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and olive oil) I am working with Filippo Berio to show how olive oil can be used in ethnically inspired cuisines, like spanakopita.
Spanakopita is a savory phyllo dough pastry or pie with origins from Greece. Typically, this bake is filled with a mix of spinach, onions, feta cheese, herbs, and seasonings commonly used in Greek cuisine. The layering of the phyllo dough sheets together before it is filled calls for the use of butter or olive oil.
To keep this pastry Mediterranean diet-friendly, I opted to use Filippo Berio’s Extra Light Olive Oil which is great for using in baked goods and is a nice alternative for butter and other oils which can be high in saturated fats. This olive oil provides the perfect amount of olive flavor without overpowering the other flavors in this bake.
How to Make Spanakopita
I tried to not stray too far away from how this savory pastry is commonly made. I wanted the authentic, aromatic flavors in this bake to shine. Although spanakopita can be made in different shapes from spiral, triangle to sheet pie, I am focusing on how to make the spiral version.
To make this spinach pie, you will need:
Key Ingredients
- Phyllo Dough
- Frozen Spinach
- Fresh Feta Cheese
- Onion
- Garlic
- Eggs
- Lemon Zest
- Parsley
- Dill
- Dried Oregano
- Salt and Pepper to Taste
- Sesame Seeds, Optional
Tips for Baking With Phyllo Dough
- Thaw Frozen Phyllo Dough in the Fridge Before Using – frozen phyllo dough should be thawed preferably overnight in the fridge. Doing so will help make phyllo dough sheets more easier to work with. Dough may be thawed at room temperature, but I found that thawing the dough in the fridge decreased the chance of it sticking together and in turn readily breaking.
- Keep Phyllo Dough Covered with a Lightly Damped Kitchen Towel – given how thin phyllo dough is, it is important to place a slightly damp kitchen towel over dough that is not immediately being used. The purpose of the damp kitchen towel is to help preserve the moisture of the phyllo dough and prevent it from drying out and becoming brittle.
- Moisten Layers of Phyllo Dough with a Fat – in order to get that quintessential golden brown flaky layers of phyllo dough once baked, individual sheets of phyllo dough must be lightly coated on a fat of choice i.e. olive oil. Applying some fat to sheets of phyllo dough also helps them stick together. This is particularly important when a recipe calls for layering two or more sheets of phyllo dough together.
How to Assemble Spiral Greek Spinach Pie
- Place a sheet of phyllo dough on a clean work surface with the long end facing you.
- Lightly brush the top of phyllo dough with some olive oil.
- Place a second sheet of phyllo dough directly over the first one and brush the top with olive oil. Repeat this process one more time for a total of three phyllo dough layers.
- Spoon filling along the length of the long end of phyllo dough.
- Roll phyllo dough over filling continuously until you get the opposite end of the dough.
- Starting at one end of the filled dough, gently roll the dough into a spiral and place in prepared baking dish.
- Repeat layering and filling process with remaining dough and filling but do not shape filled rolls into a spriral. Instead, continuously place each filled roll of dough around the ends of the previous roll until you end up with a large spiral shaped pie.
- Brush assembled pie with some olive oil before sprinkling with sesame seeds and baking until the dough is flaky and golden brown in color.
Can Greek Spinach Pie Be Made in Advance?
Yes, assembled pie that has been placed in a baking dish of choice and covered in plastic/cling wrap may be made the night before and baked the next day. Simply increase bake time by 5-6 minutes as needed.
Unbaked, assembled spinach pie that has been frozen until solid and placed in a freezer safe container, for example, a large resealable bag will keep in the freezer for 1-2 months. Frozen pie may be baked straight from the freezer with an increased bake time of 5-10 minutes.
Baked spinach pie stored in an airtight container will last 2-3 days in the fridge. To restore the flaky texture of refrigerated pie, I recommend using a toaster or conventional oven set to 350F (175C) and bake pie until heated through, about 8-10 minutes.
How to Make Spinach Pies in Triangle Shape
If you would prefer to make spanakopita as individual triangle pastries instead of a large spiral pie. Simply follow these steps:
- Place a sheet of phyllo dough on a clean work surface with the short end facing you.
- Lightly brush the entire surface of dough with some olive oil.
- Place a second sheet of phyllo dough directly over the first one and brush the top with olive oil. Repeat process one more time for a total of three phyllo dough layers.
- Using a pastry cutter or sharp knife, cut the layered dough vertically into 3 inch wide strips
- Working with one strip of dough at a time, spoon a 1/2 tablespoon of the filling about a 1/4 inch from the end of the dough strip.
- Fold one corner of the dough over the filling diagonally to make a triangle shape.
- Keep folding the strip of dough over itself diagonally until you reach the end.
- Place triangle shaped pastry on a large parchment lined baking sheet and repeat this process with remaining filling and dough.
- Brush the tops of each triangle pastry with some olive oil before sprinkling with sesame seeds (optional).
- Bake pastries at 350F (175C) for 12-14 minutes or until pastries are rich golden brown in color with a flaky crust.
Looking For More Scrumptious Eats, Checkout the Links Below:
If you make this recipe, please make sure to let me know by tagging me @nourishedendeavors on Instagram or by leaving a comment in the comment section down below so I can find out how this recipe turned out for you! If you have any questions, ask away! I would love to answer your questions! Happy baking!
PrintSpanakopita (Greek Spinach Pie)
This incredibly flaky spanakopita (Greek Spinach Pie) is packed with the most rich mix of aromatic flavors commonly found in Greek cuisine. With layers of phyllo dough filled with a savory spinach feta cheese filling, this spinach pie is a delightful treat that will leave you wanting more!
- Prep Time: 2 Hours
- Cook Time: 35 Minutes
- Total Time: 2 Hours 35 Minutes
- Yield: 1 Pie 1x
Ingredients
Spinach Feta Cheese Filling
- 12 Ounces (340 g) Frozen Chopped Spinach, Thawed and Thoroughly Drained
- 6 Ounces (170 g) Fresh Feta Cheese, Crumbled
- 2 Tablespoons (30 ml) Filippo Berio’s Extra Light Olive Oil
- 1 Large Egg
- 1 Large Egg White
- 1 Small Onion, Diced
- 2 Large Garlic Cloves, Minced
- 1/4 Cup (10 g) Fresh Parsley, Finely Chopped
- 1 Tablespoon (3 g) Fresh Dill, Finely Chopped
- 1 Teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 1/2 Teaspoon Fresh Lemon Zest (Zest from 1/2 a Large Lemon)
- Salt and Pepper to Taste
Assembly
- 1 Package Phyllo Dough, Thawed Overnight
- 3/4 Cup (177 ml) Filippo Berio’s Extra Light Olive Oil, Plus More As Needed
- Sesame Seeds, Optional
Instructions
Spinach Feta Cheese Filling
- In a large frying pan under medium high heat, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and heat up until hot, about 1 minute.
- Place the onions and garlic into the frying pan and cook, stirring constantly until onions start to appear transparent. About 2-3 minutes.
- Add the remaining olive oil into the pan with onion mixture before stirring in the spinach.
- Gently saute the spinach to heat through before removing from heat, about 1-2 minutes.
- Transfer spinach mixture into a large mixing bowl to cool completely before mixing in the remaining ingredients.
- In a small mixing bowl, add the egg and egg white and whisk to combine.
- Mix in all of the herbs (fresh and dried), feta cheese, lemon zest, and whisked egg into the cooled spinach mixture to combine.
- Salt and pepper filling to taste.
Assembly
- Preheat oven to 350F (175C). Line the base of a 10 or 12 inch cast iron or springform pan with parchment paper. Alternatively, pie maybe made on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Unroll phyllo dough sheets from package and keep it covered with a slightly damp kitchen towel.
- Place the first sheet of phyllo dough on a work surface with the long side facing you.
- Using a pastry brush, lightly grease the entire sheet of phyllo dough with some olive oil.
- Lay another sheet of phyllo dough over the first sheet and brush with oil. Repeat this process one more time for a total of 3 layered phyllo dough sheets.
- Spoon a 1/2 inch line of the filling along the long side of the layered sheets of dough.
- Gently roll the dough onto itself to form a long roll.
- Starting at one end of the roll, gently swirl (coil) the roll into a spiral shape and place in the center of the parchment lined cast iron pan. The remaining rolls will not be coiled in this manner, just the first roll.
- Continue this process of layering, filling, and rolling the phyllo dough sheets until you have no more filling left.
- Position one of the filled rolls around the coiled roll in the pan.
- With the remaining filled rolls, place one around the ends of the previous roll until no more rolls are left and you have a large spiral shaped pie.
- Lightly brush the top of the shaped pie with olive oil before sprinkling with sesame seeds (optional).
- Bake spinach pie for 35-45 minutes until pastry appears golden brown in color and flaky in appearance.
- Allow pie to cool for 10-15 minutes before cutting and serving warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Spanakopita is best eaten the day it is baked and pairs nicely with a yogurt based dip like tzatiziki sauce.
- Leftover spinach pie stored in an airtight container will last 2-3 days in the fridge. To restore the flaky texture of refrigerated pie, I recommend using a toaster or conventional oven set to 350F (175C) and baking pie until heated through, about 8-10 minutes.
- If you would like to make spiral spinach pie as individual triangle pastries, see instructions on how to do inthe body of blog post.
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