Easy Greek Spinach pie for Beginners (Spanakopita)
Bushra
This authentic Greek Spanakopita recipe brings Mediterranean magic to your kitchen in just 1 hour. Whether served as a light main dish or crowd-pleasing side, this traditional spinach pie promises restaurant-quality results with minimal effort.
Prep Time 30 minutes mins
Cook Time 30 minutes mins
Total Time 1 hour hr
Course Sides
Cuisine Greek
- 2 small red onions halved and sliced
- 1 spring onion finely chopped (optional)
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 500 g spinach washed and roughly chopped
- 1 pinch grated nutmeg
- 200 g feta cheese crumbled
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1-2 tbsps fresh dill chopped (optional)
- 1 pack filo pastry 400g / 14 oz typically
- butter
- salt and pepper to taste
If you choose to prepare this Greek spinach pie recipe with commercial phyllo dough, it is important to thaw completely the phyllo dough by putting it in the fridge from the previous day. For the beginners at working with phyllo, check the handling tips before start making the spanakopita.
Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6.
To prepare this spinach pie recipe, sauté the onions in a large knob of butter until soft and turning golden. Add the garlic and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the spinach in batches and cook until wilted. Cool, then tip into a bowl (leaving behind any excess liquid from the spinach) and mix in the nutmeg, feta, eggs, spring onion and season.
For this spinach pie recipe you will need a non stick baking pan, about 20-22cm. Put the first sheet of filo in the pan and brush with butter, letting the excess hang over the sides. Keep going with the rest of the sheets, turning a little before adding each additional pastry sheet and brushing all over with butter. When all the pastry is used up, tip in the filling of the spanakopita and fold over the excess pastry to cover.
Butter the top of the spinach pie with melted butter and scar with a sharp knife. Bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes until the filo is crisp and golden.
Leave the spanakopita cool down for 10-15 minutes before cutting into pieces. Serve the spinach pie with Greek feta salad. Enjoy!
Keyword feta cheese, Greek cuisine, Mediterranean dish, phyllo pastry, vegetarian appetizer