Spanakopita is another very special Greek tradition. My boyfriend Jesse, whose family lives in Greece, will not let me forget that this is his single FAVORITE food, always served on “his night” to pick dinner when he visits. And I can certainly see why. It brings together the satisfaction of a pastry, but with a light flakey crust, heartiness of a veggie dish, and TONS of bright, complex flavor–spicy herbs, sweet leeks and peppery scallions, tangy feta, and polyphenol-rich Greek olive oil.
And with pre-made phyllo dough, putting the pie together is not as arduous as you might think. Quickly sauté the veggies, combine the filling ingredients, and layer the delicate phyllo dough with a brush of olive oil (+/- butter) in between each piece. Spread the filling in the middle of the dough, fold it all up, pop it in the oven for about 45 minutes, and it’s ready to be devoured.
Pictured is just one of many assembly routes you can take. I find this the easiest method because you only have to brush/layer the dough once, and it’s one simple fold to the center. You can also create a roll, fold individual triangular hand pies, or for a large batch, create a flat top and bottom layer.
Serve spanakopita as an appetizer, on the side with dinner (chickpea or lentil stew, flakey white fish, shrimp, roasted chicken, etc.), or as a brunch dish. Although best served right out of the oven, leftovers are perfect for a quick lunch. 
Final note: Jesse also likes to remind me that it’s pronounced spae·nuh·KOW·puh·tuh, NOT spae·NA·kow·pee·tuh. My Greek is pretty bad, so I stick to the food… When your mouth is full of it there’s really no need to articulate.
Spanakopita (Greek Spinach Pie)
Traditional Greek spinach pie, i.e. spanakopita, made with tender spinach, sweet leeks and scallions, tangy feta, and an abundance of fresh peppery herbs baked inside a flakey phyllo shell. Small-batch for the perfect shareable appetizer, light lunch, or brunch dish.
Notes
Makes 2 meal-sized servings or 4 large side dish slices.
Ingredients
- 1 tsp + 1 Tbsp Greek olive oil, divided
- 1 scallion, chopped
- 1/4 leek, chopped
- 5 oz fresh spinach, roughly chopped
- small handful each fresh dill, parsley, mint, chopped
- 1/16 tsp sea salt, or to taste
- ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 oz feta, crumbled
- 1 Tbsp grated kefalotyri cheese (or parmigiano reggiano)
- 1 egg white
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
- 6-7 sheets prepared phyllo dough
Instructions
- If frozen, thaw the phyllo dough in the refrigerator overnight, then set at room temperature for about 2 hours in the package.
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
- Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a small sauté pan. Add the leeks and scallions and sauté until soft (4-5 minutes). Stir in the spinach and cook until wilted. Transfer to a mixing bowl and let cool slightly. Add the herbs, salt, pepper, cheeses, egg white, and nutmeg and gently mix to combine.
- Pour ~ 1 Tbsp Greek olive oil in a small bowl to work with. Using a brush or paper towel, oil the bottom and sides of a small baking dish. Gently place a sheet of phyllo into the pan and brush the top and up the sides with olive oil. Repeat to form a stack of 6-7 sheets with olive oil brushed between each, making sure to coat the sides. Trim off excess dough from the margins. Spread the spinach filling in the center of the phyllo. Fold the phyllo inward to meet in the center. (It's ok if it opens up while cooking.)
- Transfer the dish to the oven. Bake 40-45 minutes, or until golden. Remove, cool a few minutes, slice, and serve. (Best if eaten fresh from the oven, but you can store leftovers in the refrigerator 3-4 days or in the freezer a few months.)