Description
Spanakopita, a traditional Greek spinach pie, features a savory blend of spinach, feta, and ricotta cheeses wrapped in flaky, buttery phyllo dough. This delicious dish is perfect as an appetizer, side, or even a light main course and combines fresh herbs and rich cheeses for authentic Mediterranean flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
Filling
- 16 oz frozen chopped spinach (thawed and drained)
- 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 small onion (finely chopped)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1/4 cup fresh dill (chopped) or 2 tablespoons dried dill
- 1 large egg (lightly beaten)
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
Phyllo and Baking
- 16 oz phyllo dough (thawed)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (melted)
- Olive oil (for drizzling during sautéing)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 350°F (175°C) to prepare it for baking the spanakopita.
- Sauté onion and garlic: Heat a skillet over medium heat, add a drizzle of olive oil, and cook the finely chopped onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for an additional minute. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- Prepare the filling: In a large bowl, combine the drained spinach, crumbled feta, ricotta cheese, sautéed onion and garlic, chopped dill, and the beaten egg. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then mix thoroughly until all ingredients are evenly incorporated.
- Prepare the phyllo sheets: Lay phyllo dough sheets on a clean, dry surface. Keep unused sheets covered with a damp kitchen towel to prevent them from drying out.
- Butter the baking dish and layer phyllo: Brush the baking dish bottom with melted butter. Place one sheet of phyllo dough into the dish, letting the edges hang over the sides. Lightly brush this sheet with melted butter.
- Add more phyllo layers: Continue layering 6 to 8 more sheets of phyllo, brushing each sheet lightly with melted butter and overlapping them evenly.
- Add the filling: Spread the spinach and cheese mixture evenly over the layered phyllo dough in the baking dish.
- Top layers: Fold the overhanging phyllo edges over the filling. Then, carefully lay approximately 5 more sheets of phyllo dough on top, brushing each one with melted butter.
- Score the top: Using a sharp knife, cut the top sheets of phyllo into squares or diamond shapes to facilitate serving after baking.
- Final butter and seasoning: Brush the top with a generous amount of melted butter and sprinkle lightly with salt for flavor and crispness.
- Bake the spanakopita: Place the dish in the preheated oven and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and crisp.
- Cool and serve: Allow the spanakopita to cool slightly after baking to set before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Be sure to thoroughly drain the spinach to avoid soggy filling.
- Use fresh dill if possible for the best flavor, but dried dill works well too.
- Keep the phyllo dough covered at all times to prevent it from drying and cracking.
- Melted butter is key to achieving a crispy, golden crust.
- Spanakopita can be made ahead and reheated gently before serving.
- This recipe can be doubled for larger gatherings.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Appetizer, Side Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Greek
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 piece (approx. 1/8 of recipe)
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 480 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 65 mg
Keywords: Spanakopita, Greek spinach pie, phyllo dough recipe, spinach feta pie, Mediterranean appetizer
