Name: Spanakopita
Prep time: 21 min
Cook time: 49 min
Total time: 70 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: 500 g fresh spinach; 300 g Greek feta in brine; 4 scallions; 1 small onion, finely diced and sautéed until soft; 3 tbsp fresh dill; 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley; 2 eggs; 0.5 tsp freshly grated nutmeg; 10 sheets of phyllo pastry, thawed overnight in fridge; 80 ml olive oil

Question 1

How do you work with phyllo pastry — it keeps tearing and drying out?

Accepted Answer

Two rules for phyllo: cover and work fast. As soon as you open the package, unroll the sheets and lay a very slightly damp kitchen towel directly on top — phyllo exposed to air dries to crumbling brittleness in under two minutes. Work with one sheet at a time, replacing the damp towel over the rest immediately. Tears are normal and not a problem — multiple layers will cover any imperfections. Brush oil generously on each sheet before placing the next: the oil creates both the flakiness and the crisp. If a sheet tears badly, patch it with a piece from the pile and continue.

Question 2

Why does the spanakopita filling turn watery and make the pastry soggy?

Accepted Answer

All from the spinach. Fresh spinach is mostly water, and frozen spinach, even after thawing, retains significant moisture. After cooking or thawing, the spinach must be squeezed until it feels almost dry. Take a handful and wring it as hard as you can over the sink — repeat until no more liquid comes out. A second cause is assembling the pie too far ahead and leaving it unbaked — the filling continues to release moisture into the phyllo over time. If assembling ahead, refrigerate or freeze the unbaked pie rather than leaving it at room temperature.

Question 3

Should you use butter or olive oil to brush the phyllo — what is the difference?

Accepted Answer

Both work. Olive oil is traditional — it gives a crisp, slightly less rich result with a faint fruitiness, and it is used in authentic Greek recipes. Butter gives a richer flavor and a slightly deeper golden color. Many home cooks use butter because the flavor is more familiar and forgiving. For the most authentic result, use good-quality Greek extra virgin olive oil. For a richer flavor and slightly more impressive visual result, use clarified butter or regular melted butter. Both produce excellent spanakopita; this is a personal choice.

Question 4

Fresh or frozen spinach — which is better for spanakopita?

Accepted Answer

Both work, with different handling. Fresh spinach gives marginally better flavor and texture: wilt in a hot dry pan in batches, cool, then squeeze thoroughly dry. Frozen spinach is more convenient and already broken down: thaw completely, then squeeze out all moisture — often more effectively than fresh because the freezing has already broken down the cell walls. The critical variable is not fresh versus frozen but whether it is dry enough before going into the filling. Wet spinach from either source will ruin the pastry regardless of everything else.

Question 5

What is the difference between spanakopita pie and spanakopita triangles — which is more traditional?

Accepted Answer

Both are traditional in different contexts. The pie (pita) format — filling layered in a baking dish between sheets of phyllo — is the traditional home-cooking version, made in one large pan and cut into squares or diamonds. It is the version made for family meals and celebrations. Triangles (trigonika) are the street-food and bakery version: filling wrapped in individual strips of phyllo folded into small triangular parcels. Both are authentic. The pie is easier to make in quantity and slices cleanly when cool; triangles are more portable and each has more crust relative to filling, which many people prefer.

Spanakopita

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