If you love rich and cheesy dishes, you must try Spanakopita as soon as possible! It’s a delicious Greek pie made with thin, crispy layers of phyllo dough and a comforting spinach filling.
Spanakopita is a great side dish, especially if you’re preparing a special holiday dinner. It goes well with lamb or chicken recipes!
However, if you serve it with a Greek or Mediterranean salad, Spanakopita can also stand alone as the main dish, and everyone will love it!
The first time you see this dish, you may think it’s difficult to make. However, with the right ingredients and tips, you will be able to prepare Spanakopita and delight your guests in less time than you think.
Do you want to make this Greek delicacy to surprise your friends or family? Read on to find the best recipe!
What Is Spanakopita?
It’s a popular savory Greek spinach pie made with phyllo dough and filled with a mix of vegetables and feta or ricotta cheese.
Have you tried phyllo dough before? It’s pastry dough but used in tissue-thin layers. That’s why the Spanakopita is crispy and perfectly flaky.
This Greek spinach pie is usually served as cut pieces from a whole slab pie if you make it on a large casserole dish, but you can prepare different variations.
Some people make individual pies, rolls, or pockets (hand pies shaped in triangles) to make things easier.
In addition to spinach and phyllo dough, the traditional Spanakopita recipe also has onions or scallions. Some versions are also stuffed with eggs. Therefore, you can get creative and experiment a bit until you find the perfect recipe for you!
Ingredients to Make Spanakopita
Now that you know this dish, it’s time to get down to work and start preparing it. The first thing you should do is find the right ingredients.
For the filling, you need the following:
- 10 oz thawed, squeezed, and dried frozen chopped spinach
- 2 green onions, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ yellow onion, medium, finely chopped
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- ½ tsp freshly chopped dill
- 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- ¼ nutmeg (optional)
For the wrapper, you need the following:
- 10 thawed phyllo sheets
- ¾ cup melted butter
Cooking Instructions
Once you got all the ingredients, you can start preparing this delicious and unforgettable recipe. These are the steps you should follow:
Making the Filling
- Preheat the oven to 375F
- With a kitchen towel, squeeze the excess moisture from the spinach and transfer it to a large bowl
- Add the oil to a large skillet and bring to medium heat
- Once hot, add the onion and green onion and cook for about five minutes or until softened
- Then, add the garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes (remember that this ingredient is optional)
- Season the mixture with salt and pepper (taste and adjust if necessary)
- Transfer the mixture to the bowl with the spinach and mix until all the ingredients are perfectly combined
- Add the lemon zest, dill, nutmeg if using, and feta cheese
- Stir again until all the ingredients are perfectly combined
- Taste the mixture and add more salt and pepper if necessary
Assembling the Spanakopita
- Once you have the spinach mixture ready, take the phyllo dough out of the fridge and cover it with a damp kitchen towel
- Place a phyllo sheet on an oiled baking dish and brush it all over with melted butter
- After that, top it with another phyllo sheet and brush it again with melted butter (you should let the phyllo sheets cover the sides of the baking dish)
- Add two more phyllo sheets in the same way, brushing each with melted butter
- Repeat until you have used two-thirds of the phyllo dough
- Now, spread the spinach and feta cheese evenly over the phyllo dough
- Top the mixture with two more phyllo sheets and brush them with melted butter
- Continue adding layers of phyllo dough and melted butter until you have used all the sheets
- Brush the last layer with extra melted butter and sprinkle it with a few drops of water
- Fold in the flaps or excess sides of the phyllo sheets (you can crumble them a bit to give the final dish a better texture)
- Brush the sides with more melted butter
- Cut the Spanakopita into squares (you can also do this after baking)
- Bring to the oven for at least an hour or until the phyllo dough is crisp and golden
- Remove from the oven and let it cool slightly before serving
Tips to Make Spanakopita
As you can see, although you have to follow multiple steps, preparing Spanakopita is easy! Do you want to try it and get the best results? Check these tips!
- Phyllo dough is very fragile since it’s tissue-thin. Therefore, to prevent it from breaking as you assemble the Spanakopita, you should place the phyllo sheets between two slightly damp kitchen towels. Otherwise, the sheets will dry out and be much more difficult to work with.
- Since phyllo sheets can dry out in only minutes, you shouldn’t skimp on adding melted butter between each layer.
- Spanakopita is best if served hot. When you take the baking dish out of the oven, just wait a few minutes while it cools down a bit before enjoying this delicious dish.
- Use the best phyllo sheets for the top of the Spanakopita casserole for better visual results.
Substitutions
Finding some of the key ingredients to make Spanakopita can be difficult. However, there are some substitutions you can consider for this recipe if you don’t have any at home. These are:
Feta Cheese
Don’t have feta cheese at home and can’t find it in your grocery store? Don’t worry! Ricotta cheese is a great substitute.
The result may be slightly different, but the taste will be almost the same. Ricotta cheese is also delicious!
Melted Butter
If you are not a fan of the butter taste, you can also substitute this ingredient. The best option is olive oil.
However, you should keep in mind that the taste of olive oil can be too strong. Therefore, you should choose mild varieties, such as extra virgin.
Spinach
Both fresh and packed spinach works well to prepare Spanakopita. You only have to use the one you like the most!
Yellow Onion
If you don’t have yellow onion, you can also use another variety, such as red onion! Both will give your recipe a unique and unforgettable flavor.
FAQs
If you still have questions about Spanakopita and how to make it, don’t forget to check this FAQ section!
Can I Make Spanakopita Ahead of Time?
Yes, you can! If you want to prepare ahead of time for that special dinner, you can make Spanakopita the night before you need to serve it.
In this case, you only have to follow all the steps to make the filling and assemble the dish. However, instead of baking it, cover the baking dish tightly and refrigerate your Spanakopita overnight.
When you are ready to serve this dish, remove the baking dish from the refrigerator and bake according to the instructions.
Can I Save Leftovers?
If your Spanakopita is already cooked, you can also store it in the refrigerator for two or three nights. Just cover the baking dish tightly!
When you want to eat the leftovers, just heat the Spanakopita in a medium-heated oven until it’s warm enough. Some people portion the leftover Spanakopita and freeze each piece for later!
Do I Have to Cook the Spinach in Advance?
No, you don’t have to cook it in advance. Since you need a good amount of spinach, you can use those frozen products available at most grocery stores.
However, some people use fresh spinach and decide to cook it for a better texture. It’s up to you!
In both cases, you only have to make sure you squeeze all the liquid from the spinach since excess moisture could spoil the recipe.
Can I Add More Vegetables to the Filling?
Yes, of course! Although it will change the flavor and texture of the original recipe, you can add more vegetables to the Spanakopita filling.
As mentioned, this is a dish you can experiment with and create more delicious recipes!
Final Thoughts
Spanakopita is one of the most attractive recipes you can prepare, especially if you have a special dinner with your friends or family and want to surprise them.
Many believe it’s difficult because it is not as famous as other dishes you usually prepare at home. However, as you can see, this recipe is easy to make.
If you like to experiment and want to surprise a loved one with a different meal, you can take them to Greece with a delicious Spanakopita! Also, this dish can be as healthy as you want.
You can add more eggs for more protein, or use a low-fat type of cheese for a lower-calorie version. It’s amazingly delicious and versatile!
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