Spanakopita Recipe (Greek Spinach Pie)

Spanakopita is Greece's spinach pie, made by wrapping spinach and feta in crisp filo pastry, then baking until golden and finishing with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

My yiayia made it often in our kitchen in London, the same kitchen where she taught us to fold filo for tiropitas on weekend afternoons. The spinach and feta come together with dill and a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil, the way she always made it. Serve it with Xoriatiki, or alongside a bowl of yoghurt and lemon.

Spanakopita ingredients

These are the ingredients for spanakopita. I use extra virgin olive oil for the filling and for brushing the filo - never butter. Butter makes the pastry richer, but it buries the dill and feta under all that dairy fat. Olive oil keeps the layers lighter and crisper, and you can taste it against the filling instead of underneath it.

Ingredients Serves 6Serves 12Serves 18

1x 2x 3x

Filling

• 500g fresh spinach1kg fresh spinach1.5kg fresh spinach
• 1 leek, finely chopped2 leeks, finely chopped3 leeks, finely chopped
• 4 spring onions, finely chopped8 spring onions, finely chopped12 spring onions, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp Ionian Gold Extra Virgin Olive Oil4 tbsp Ionian Gold Extra Virgin Olive Oil6 tbsp Ionian Gold Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Small bunch dill, chopped2 small bunches dill, chopped3 small bunches dill, chopped
• Small bunch parsley, chopped2 small bunches parsley, chopped3 small bunches parsley, chopped
• A few mint leaves, choppedA small handful mint leaves, choppedA large handful mint leaves, chopped
• 200g feta, crumbled by hand400g feta, crumbled by hand600g feta, crumbled by hand
• 1 egg, beaten2 eggs, beaten3 eggs, beaten
• Zest of 1 lemonZest of 2 lemonsZest of 3 lemons
• Pinch of grated nutmeg
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

Pastry

• 270g filo pastry540g filo pastry810g filo pastry
• 4–5 tbsp Ionian Gold Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for brushing8–10 tbsp Ionian Gold Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for brushing12–15 tbsp Ionian Gold Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for brushing

Nutrition, per serving

400Calories

24gFat

33gCarbs

12gProtein

2gFibre

Estimated, based on the filling and brushing oil. Values don't change when you scale servings above.

I recommend using our Ionian Gold Xavdata extra virgin olive oil when preparing Spanakopita. It's soft and rounded, with the same fresh herb note as the dill and parsley in the filling. It goes into the filling and gets brushed over the filo before baking and all of it cooks into the pastry.

How to make spanakopita

My spanakopita recipe comes down to two things my yiayia always drilled into me: drain the spinach properly, and keep the filo covered so it doesn't dry out and crack while you're working.

Prep 30 mins · Cook 45 mins · Total 1 hr 30 mins

1. Wash and chop. Wash and roughly chop the spinach.
2. Sauté. In a large pan, sauté the leek and spring onion in 2 tbsp of the extra virgin olive oil until soft, about 8 minutes.
3. Wilt the spinach. Add the spinach to the same pan, in batches if it doesn't all fit, and cook until wilted and any liquid has cooked off, about 5 minutes.
4. Drain. Tip the mixture into a colander and drain thoroughly, pressing out as much liquid as you can with the back of a spoon. Don't rush this; it's the difference between a filling that holds and pastry that turns soggy.
5. Mix the filling. Once cooled, transfer to a large bowl and mix in the herbs, feta, egg, lemon zest, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
6. Layer the base. Brush a 20 x 30cm baking dish with olive oil. Lay about half the filo sheets in the dish one at a time, brushing each with extra virgin olive oil before adding the next, letting the edges hang over the sides. Keep the unused sheets covered with a damp cloth so they don't dry out and crack.
7. Fill and top. Spread the filling evenly over the filo base. Layer the remaining filo sheets on top, brushing each one, then fold the overhanging edges back over the top and tuck them in.
8. Bake. Score the top layer into portions with a sharp knife, cutting through the filo but not into the filling. Bake at 180°C fan (200°C conventional) until golden, about 40 to 45 minutes. Cool for at least 15 minutes before cutting all the way through.

Tips for spanakopita

If you use puff pastry instead of filo, roll out one sheet and lay it over the filling like a pie lid, rather than layering multiple sheets. Puff pastry already has fat laminated through it, so it puffs and browns on its own without brushing between layers the way filo needs. Egg wash the top before it bakes.

For triangles, cut the filo into strips about 7cm wide, spoon filling onto one end, and fold flag-style, brushing each one with olive oil. A torn sheet patches fine with a scrap from another one, and it won't show once baked.

Some traditional versions skip the egg. My spanakopita recipe includes one, since it binds the filling and makes it easier to portion.

Use real Greek feta if you can find it, made from sheep's milk. It holds together better and tastes stronger than the cow's milk versions some supermarkets sell as feta.

How to store spanakopita

Freeze spanakopita unbaked, wrapped in cling film then foil to stop it picking up freezer smells. For triangles, freeze them flat on a tray first, then bag once solid so they don't stick together. Bake straight from frozen, adding 10 to 15 minutes. Use within 3 months for the best texture. Baked spanakopita keeps in the fridge for 3 days. Reheat in the oven. The microwave turns the filo soggy.

Frequently asked questions about spanakopita

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