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spanakopita — Mediterranean Diet Hub

spanakopita

Spanakopita recipe made with layers of crispy phyllo, fresh spinach, and creamy feta. Bakes in under an hour for a truly satisfying lunch or snack.
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Total Time 1 hour 1 minute
Servings: 6 pieces
Course: Lunch
Cuisine: Greek
Calories: 310
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Filling
  • 0.5 kg fresh spinach washed and roughly chopped
  • 1 unit onion finely diced
  • 3 unit green onions sliced
  • 2 clove garlic finely minced
  • 200 g feta cheese crumbled
  • 2 unit eggs beaten
  • 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 0.25 teaspoon nutmeg freshly grated
  • 0.5 teaspoon salt
  • 0.5 teaspoon black pepper
Phyllo assembly
  • 250 g phyllo dough thawed if frozen
  • 0.25 cup extra virgin olive oil for brushing

Method
 

Filling preparation
  1. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook 2–3 minutes, stirring until translucent.
  2. Add sliced green onions and garlic. Stir for another 1–2 minutes until fragrant but don’t let the garlic brown.
  3. Mix in the chopped spinach a couple big handfuls at a time, stirring until wilted. This part feels like a lot but the volume drops fast. Cook off any liquid — just shift the spinach around until most moisture evaporates.
  4. Take the pan off the heat. Let it cool for at least 5 minutes, then press the mixture with a spoon or colander to get extra water out. Don’t skip this — soggy spanakopita is nobody’s friend.
  5. In a large bowl, combine the spinach mixture with crumbled feta, beaten eggs, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Mix well. If your feta is salty, taste before adding all the salt.
Phyllo assembly
  1. Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Brush a rectangular baking dish (about 23x33cm) with olive oil.
  2. Unroll the phyllo dough. Keep a clean towel over the stack so it doesn’t dry out — phyllo dries faster than you’d think.
  3. Lay one sheet in the baking dish, letting it drape up the sides. Brush lightly with olive oil. Repeat with half the sheets, brushing each one with oil as you go. Overlapping is fine — you'll trim later.
  4. Spread the filling evenly over the phyllo base, right to the edges.
  5. Add the remaining phyllo sheets, again brushing each with olive oil. Tuck edges in or trim excess with scissors for a clean edge.
  6. Score the top layer of phyllo with a sharp knife into 6 large squares (don’t cut all the way through). It makes serving neater — trust me here.
Baking and serving
  1. Bake on the oven’s middle rack for 35–40 minutes until the top is golden brown and shattery crisp at the edges.
  2. Let cool at least 10–15 minutes before slicing. The filling will set a little — makes it much easier to serve.
  3. Serve warm or at room temperature. Leftovers keep in the fridge for 3 days and re-crisp if you heat them in the oven or toaster oven, not the microwave.

Notes

I make spanakopita when I want something that feels both comforting and fresh — the kind of lunch I look forward to reheating. There’s a magic moment when you lift that golden top and see crisp pastry give way to creamy, savory greens.

Tips from my kitchen

Don’t rush the spinach! Wet filling turns the base soggy, so I push the spinach mixture around the pan until almost no liquid remains. Then I give it a good press in a colander — you’ll be surprised how much more comes out.
If you’re new to phyllo, here’s what helps me: Keep it covered with a tea towel between sheets. If the edges crack, patch them — no one notices after baking. I also use scissors to trim the overhang right before the last brush of oil.
The step where you score the top before baking seems fussy, but it gives you crisp, intact squares instead of a pile of flakes at serving time.

Swaps and variations

Want a dairy-free version? I sometimes use firm silken tofu crumbled with a big squeeze of lemon and a spoonful of nutritional yeast instead of feta. It’s not identical, but it keeps that creamy, salty balance with egg.
Frozen chopped spinach works in a pinch (use about 300g), but you need to thaw and squeeze it bone-dry before adding. Skip delicate greens like arugula — they turn slimy here.

Storage and leftovers

Spanakopita holds up for up to 3 days in the fridge. I always reheat in the oven or toaster oven so the pastry stays crisp. It’s one of those rare bakes that’s as good cold as hot.