I’ve played around with this dish a LOT over the years, and whilst you can add things like sautéed onions and garlic into the cheesy mix, as well as herbs like dill, mint or parsley, this simplified version below is the one that I prefer and that goes down well with adults and kids alike. It is also quicker to prepare, win, win.
You can serve this as an epic vegetarian main course, but I like to serve it alongside a host of other Greek dishes. It is also good cold, and makes for a really, great picnic dish – I take it along whole, and cut it into about 8 pieces when we find our picnic spot.
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| Spanakopita - Greek Cheese & Spinach Pie |
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| Spanakopita - Greek Cheese & Spinach Pie |
Here’s how:
- 1/2 pack filo pastry
- Olive oil spray (you can also use a pastry brush and some poured olive oil)
- 200g Feta cheese (do not use ‘Greek salad cheese’ it is not good!)
- 150g Ricotta
- 25g Cheddar (or other hard cheese)
- 250g spinach leaves
- 2 eggs
- Fresh nutmeg
- Black pepper
Firstly pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees and use a generous amount of olive oil in a small-medium pie dish and brush all over to prevent any sticking.
Fill and boil the kettle and place the spinach leaves in a colander. Pour over enough freshly boiled water over the spinach leaves to just gently wilt and leave to drip in the sink.
Now to prepare the cheese mixture. Place the Feta into a mixing bowl and use a fork to roughly mash up a little bit. Now add the Ricotta and grate in the Cheddar. Season generously with black pepper – I omit from adding salt here as Feta tends to be quite salty, but add a pinch if you wish. Mix together roughly.
Now crack in the two eggs, which will enrich this mixture – and which is a very much Greek method of thickening things. Mix well and then grate over a really generous amount of the nutmeg – you want to be able to taste this in the final dish, so don’t be shy.
For the spinach, use a clean tea towel or some kitchen paper to really squeeze the excess liquid out of the wet leaves – try to get them as dry as possible to prevent any soggy bottom situations or from the pie being too wet. Once satisfied add to the cheese and egg mixture and stir it all until it is combined well and set aside.
Now it’s time to layer up the pie. Firstly add one whole sheet of filo over the pie dish long ways, and use your hands to gently press down into the base of the dish, so the excess filo pastry is hanging over the side of the dish. Be as gentle as possible here, as filo is incredibly delicate.
Now use the olive oil spray and spray all over the pastry (or use a pastry brush to gently coat) and then place another sheet over the pastry the width ways this time, repeating the process with pressing down, and then spraying with the oil.
Do one more layer long ways, and then you can spoon in the cheese and spinach mixture. Try to distribute it as evenly as you can. Once satisfied, take the excess pastry and layer it over the top of the pie, spraying any dry bits with the olive oil spray. (I appreciate this sounds like a lot of oil – but if you don’t follow this, the final pie can be really dry, and less appetising).
Take one final sheet of filo pastry, fold it half and place over the top of the pie, gently pressing it down to cover the entire pie. Give a final spray of oil and the pie is ready to bake in the oven. Pop it in for approximately 45 minutes – or until crisp and golden brown. If you have a speedy oven, check after 35 minutes to avoid burning.
Remove from the oven and allow to sit in the dish for five minutes, before using a palette knife to gently go around the outside of the pie, inside the dish, to prevent it sticking, then very carefully use a fish slice or spatula to help you remove the pie from the dish and place onto a wooden board or large plate to serve. Enjoy!
Some other Greek recipes you may enjoy:
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