Greek recipe

Spanakopita

Name: Spanakopita
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h 25 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Greek cuisine
Ingredients: 800 g fresh spinach, washed; 180 g spring onions, thinly sliced; 25 g fresh dill, chopped; 15 g flat-leaf parsley, chopped; 300 g feta, crumbled; 2 large eggs; 2 g ground nutmeg; 450 g phyllo pastry; 140 ml extra-virgin olive oil, divided; 8 g fine salt; 3 g black pepper

A crisp phyllo pie filled with spinach, feta, spring onion and dill. The key is a thoroughly drained filling and individually oiled sheets so the crust stays flaky instead of steaming soft.

Greece-wide pie tradition

Prep: 45 min
Cook: 40 min
Total: 1 hr 25 min
Servings: 8

Golden Greek spanakopita with flaky phyllo and spinach-feta filling — **Real finished-dish photograph**Photograph by Tanya BakogiannisSource page · Original file · CC BY 3.0Cropped, resized, and compressed by Recipe Nest Vault.

Ingredients

800 g
fresh spinach, washed
180 g
spring onions, thinly sliced
25 g
fresh dill, chopped
15 g
flat-leaf parsley, chopped
300 g
feta, crumbled
2
large eggs
2 g
ground nutmeg
450 g
phyllo pastry
140 ml
extra-virgin olive oil, divided
8 g
fine salt
3 g
black pepper

Method

01
Wilt the spinach in batches
Heat 20 ml olive oil in a wide pan over medium-high heat. Add the spinach in batches and cook for 4–5 minutes total, just until collapsed.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
02
Drain and cool completely
Transfer the spinach to a colander for 10 minutes, press out excess liquid, then spread it on a tray to cool for another 10 minutes.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
03
Mix the filling
Chop the cooled spinach and combine with spring onions, dill, parsley, feta, eggs, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Mix only until evenly distributed.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
04
Prepare the pan and phyllo
Heat the oven to 190°C. Oil a 25 x 35 cm baking dish. Unroll the phyllo and keep the unused sheets under a barely damp towel.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
05
Build the bottom crust
Lay 6 phyllo sheets in the dish one at a time, brushing or drizzling each lightly with 60 ml of the olive oil in total. Let the edges overhang.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
06
Spread the spinach filling
Spread the filling evenly over the phyllo without compressing it. Keep the filling level so the pie bakes to the same thickness across the pan.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
07
Close the pie with phyllo
Cover with 6 more phyllo sheets, using another 50 ml olive oil between the layers. Fold the overhanging edges inward to seal the filling.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
08
Score and bake
Brush the top with the remaining 10 ml olive oil and score 8 portions without cutting through the bottom. Bake at 190°C for 35–40 minutes until crisp and deeply golden.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
09
Rest before cutting
Rest the pie uncovered for 15 minutes so steam can escape. Follow the score lines to cut 8 crisp portions and serve warm or at room temperature.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph

Practical notes

Tips

Drain or reduce wet fillings before assembly so the baked layers set cleanly instead of steaming.
Rest layered bakes before slicing; the short cooling period lets starch, cheese and sauces firm enough for clean portions.

Common mistakes

Assembling with watery vegetables makes the centre loose even when the top is browned.
Cutting immediately after baking collapses the layers and releases hot sauce onto the plate.

Substitutions

Use a comparable firm salty cheese when the specified Greek cheese is unavailable, then reduce added salt to compensate.
For meat fillings, beef and lamb can be adjusted within the same total weight according to availability and preferred richness.

Storage

Cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate within 2 hours at 0–4°C for up to 3 days. Reheat only the portion needed until piping hot throughout.

Cultural context

Spanakopita belongs to Greece’s broad tradition of savory pies, where leafy greens, herbs and cheese are enclosed in homemade or commercial phyllo. Regional versions vary in greens, herbs and crust thickness.

Sources and photo credit

This standardized method was independently rewritten after cross-checking the references below. Recipe Nest Vault does not claim that the credited photographer cooked from this exact version.

Recipe references

Spanikopita Greek dish — Photograph by Tanya Bakogiannis; CC BY 3.0.

Step illustrations: Original illustrations created by Recipe Nest Vault with OpenAI image_gen.

Back to Greek recipes

Spanakopita

Ingredients

Method

Wilt the spinach in batches

Drain and cool completely

Mix the filling

Prepare the pan and phyllo

Build the bottom crust

Spread the spinach filling

Close the pie with phyllo

Score and bake

Rest before cutting

Sources and photo credit

Recipe references

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