Spanakopita, a Greek pastry also known as spinach pie, is buttery rich on the outside and cheesy green on the inside. Although it takes considerable effort, spanakopita can be baked in advance then frozen so that when the unexpected company or cravings arise, the home baker can pop a handful of frozen triangles into the toaster oven for 20 minutes and Opa! produce a gourmet snack fit for the gods.

The main components of spanakopita are puff or filo dough, spinach and feta cheese. I also add dill, olive oil, onion, and sometimes fennel leaves to the filling.

Aunt Jean’s Spanakopita Wrapped in Filo Dough

This is an heirloom recipe courtesy of my aunt Jean, shown above in the process of rolling a holiday batch of 70+ spanakopita. In the photo, she is rolling triangles out of strips of filo dough as is her method. Below is a photo of her holiday classic.

Spanakopita Wrapped in Puff Pastry

In this recipe, I’ve substituted squares of puff dough for the strips of filo because I find puff easier to work with. Puff pastry has a softer bite whereas filo has a shattering crunch, but that is the only noticeable difference. I make my puff pastry from scratch (recipe not included) but you can certainly buy it from the store. I recommend Trader Joe’s Artisan Puff Pastry, a decent frozen all-butter version. Butter is better!

Spanakopita Recipe
(yield ~20 triangles)

• 1 small white or yellow onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 16 oz frozen spinach, drained of excess moisture (or fresh spinach, blanched, shocked, and drained)
• 5 oz feta cheese
• 1/4 oz fresh dill, chopped
• 2 pounds of puff pastry
• 1 egg

Step-by-Step Baking Instructions

1. Over a colander or sieve, squeeze as much excess moisture out of the spinach as possible. Allow it to continue to drain while assembling the rest of the ingredients.

2. Dice the onion and sauté it in the olive oil over medium heat until just translucent. Transfer it into a large mixing bowl and allow it to cool.

3. Using kitchen shears (or a knife), chop the dill into the onions.

4. Add the drained spinach and feta cheese and stir all the ingredients to combine.

5. Roll out the puff pastry to 1/8” thickness.

6. Cut the pastry into 3 ½” x 3 ½” squares.

7. Drop two tablespoons of filling into the center of each square.

8. Fold each square diagonally and pinch their ends to seal.

9. Press around the cut edges with the tines of a fork to further secure the seal.

10. With the tip of a knife, slice steam holes into the top of the triangles. This will help prevent the triangles from bursting open in the oven.

11. Brush their tops with egg.

12. Transfer the triangles to parchment paper-lined (or simply ungreased) sheet pans. Space them 1″ apart as they will expand while baking. So that the heat-sensitive puff dough remains chilled, unbaked spanakopita should be held in the refrigerator covered in plastic wrap until they are ready to go in the oven.

13. Bake spanakopita for 20-30 minutes in the middle of a 425° oven or until they are golden-brown on top and baked through-and-through. Allow them to cool for a few minutes before serving. For best results, eat spanakopita hot and fresh. Warning: it is nearly impossible to eat less than two.

Spanakopita may be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

To reheat triangles, bake or toast them at 350° until crispy on the outside and hot on the inside.

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