Spanakopitta (Greek Spinach Pie) l Honest Mum food blog

Spanakopitta is a traditional Greek spinach pie. Light, quick and cheap, it works in a packed lunch or picnic too. It’s my husband’s favourite pie.

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

2 bunches spring onions, finely chopped
2tbps Olive oil
1kg spinach, thoroughly washed and coarsely chopped
1 bunch fresh dill, finely chopped
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
350g feta cheese, crumbled
3 organic or free-range eggs lightly beaten
150g butter, melted plus extra for greasing
10 sheets of filo pastry
75ml milk
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

To serve:
Crispy green salad and strained Greek yoghurt.

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. In a medium pan, saute the onions with two tablespoons of olive oil for five minutes until soft. Add the spinach, parsley and dill to the onions. Add the crumbled feta, then fold in the eggs. Season with freshly ground black pepper but not salt as the feta is salty. Lightly grease a 23 cm round spring release cake tin with butter and line with 5 sheets of filo, brushing each sheet with melted butter.

Spread the spinach and feta mixture evenly in the cake tin and fold the filo sheets over the mixture, allowing them to hang over the tin’s edge. Cover with 4 sheets of filo, brushing each sheet lightly with butter first. Scrunch the last filo sheet and spread it on top. Lightly butter the filo. Trim the excess filo sheets all round or tuck them in the sides. Spread the remaining butter and milk over the surface.

Use a small sharp knife to cut only the top 4 layers of filo into lozenge pieces, approximately 5×10 cm.

Bake the pie for 45-50 minutes, until crisp and golden. Eat hot or cold with a crispy salad and plenty of strained yoghurt.

Photograph ©Peter Broadbent.