Spinach Feta Filo Pie

This impressive looking Spinach and Feta Filo Pie (also known as Spanakopita) is the perfect recipe to make for a vegetarian main course for a special occasion, a holiday or Sunday supper. Even though the show-stopping crispy and flaky crust looks complicated, it is actually quite simple to prepare. Everyone loves the spinach and feta filling with fresh mint, parsley and spices. Read on to see the step-by-step photos and a video showing how to make this foolproof recipe for the Greek classic.

Key Ingredients for this Recipe

Frozen Thawed Spinach

You will need about two pounds of frozen spinach for this recipe. We recommend frozen bagged spinach, but it is fine to buy it in the brick packaging as well. If yours comes in 10-ounce bags instead of pound size, you can use three ten ounce bags (30 ounces) instead of 2 pounds (32 ounces.)

Frozen thawed spinach is best for this recipe because it is just way too much raw spinach to cook down from fresh. (It would be more than could fit into a large stockpot!) The key to using frozen is to thaw it completely in the refrigerator for a day, and then drain it well. Then it is important to squeeze all the moisture out of it.

Filo Dough (Phyllo)

Filo or phyllo is a tissue-thin unleavened dough that is used in traditional Greek and Mediterranean dishes such as baklava, strudel, and spanakopita. When baked, filo dough offers a wonderful light, crispy texture to any dish.

While you can make your own filo dough at home, you won’t be able to get those tissue paper-thin layers you’ll find in the pre-packaged frozen varieties at your local grocer.

Pre-packaged frozen filo generally comes in two sizes 9×14 and 13×17; I prefer the long narrow size of 13×17 for this recipe.

Feta Cheese

Feta is a salty and slightly tangy Greek brined curd cheese made from sheep’s milk or a mixture of sheep and goat’s milk. In Greek cuisine, feta is served as table cheese, in Greek salads, and pastries – most commonly phyllo-based dishes such as spanakopita.

Feta can be found in the artisanal cheese section of most grocery stores either already crumbled or in a chunk. If you buy in a chunk, you will have to crumble prior to adding to the dish.

Unsalted Butter

Filo dough is almost free of any fat; therefore, needs that fat to be added to the dish prior to baking. Each layer of dough is brushed with melted butter which not only adds the fat content but also adds tremendous flavor. But besides flavor, butter plays another vital role in the dish.

Butter is a solid that contains fat and milk solids. When the pie is baked, the milk solids and fat become a liquid which creates steam, trapping it in the dough and creates air pockets. Once cooled, these pockets become that ultra-flakey and crispy dough that is iconic to these traditional filo dishes.

Other Ingredients

• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Mint, chopped
• Garlic, minced
• Nutmeg
• Dill Weed
• Salt and pepper
• Onion, finely diced
• Eggs
• Parsley, chopped

Step By Step Instructions To Make Spanakopita

Step 1: Preheat oven

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Step 2: Sauté onions

In a medium skillet over medium-high heat add garlic and onion. Stir often until the onion is softened. Scrape into a large bowl.

Step 3: Make pie filling

To the large bowl full of sautéed onions, add parsley, eggs, feta, mint, dill, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir it to combine.

Squeeze any additional moisture from the spinach. Once dry, add to bowl. Mix until thoroughly combined.

Step 4: Prepare filo dough

On a slightly damp cloth, unfold filo. Place a second slightly damp cloth on top to prevent the dough from drying out. Coat a deep-dish pie plate with cooking spray.

Step 5: Prepare pie crust

Place two sheets of filo into the prepared pie dish, pressing to the corners of the plate. Brush with butter. Repeat with two more sheets of filo, placing them down with the corners rotated about 45 degrees from the previous sheet. Brush with butter. Repeat in this manner, rotating each time, until all but 4 sheets are in the bottom of the pie plate.

Step 6: Fill pie with spinach filling

Spread the filling into the filo shell.

Step 7: Top pie

Layer and butter the remaining 4 filo sheets over the filling, rotating them as before.

Step 8: Seal and bake

Roll the edges of the pie up along the edges forming a ruffled 2-inch-wide lip along the edge of the plate. Brush the sides and top with remaining butter.

Bake until the crust is deeply golden brown. Let cool for 20 minutes before slicing into wedges and serving!

Thanks so much for reading. If you are new here you may want to sign up for my free weekly email newsletter for healthy recipes delivered right to your inbox. Or follow me on Instagram. If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review! It is very appreciated. Happy Cooking! ~Katie

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