Spanakopita: A Fresh, Herb-Infused Twist on the Classic Greek Pie
If there’s one dish that embodies the heart of Greek comfort food, it’s spanakopita—the iconic spinach and feta pie wrapped in crispy, golden layers of flaky Fillo pastry. A beloved dish in Greek households, spanakopita is a versatile and nourishing meal that can be served as a snack, appetizer, or main course.
In our version of spanakopita, we take this classic to the next level by adding a generous mix of fresh herbs such as mint, dill, and even fennel fronds if they’re in season. We also introduce a richer, creamier twist by incorporating ricotta cheese, and we make it more substantial by combining spinach with the slightly earthy and tender silverbeet. Together, these ingredients create a spanakopita that’s not only delicious but also packed with layers of fresh flavours and textures.
The Addition of Silverbeet: A Substantial Twist
To make the spanakopita even more filling and substantial, we’ve included silverbeet, also known as Swiss chard, alongside the traditional spinach. Silverbeet is a hearty green with slightly earthy, savoury notes, and it adds both texture and depth to the filling. While spinach provides a delicate, tender quality, silverbeet’s thicker, more robust leaves offer an extra bite and substance.
When mixed with the spinach and herbs, the silverbeet makes the filling feel more satisfying, turning what could be a light snack into a more substantial meal. The slight sweetness of the silverbeet also pairs beautifully with the richness of the cheese and the brightness of the fresh herbs.
A Rich and Creamy Filling with Ricotta Cheese
While traditional spanakopita usually calls for a filling of feta cheese mixed with eggs, we’ve taken the filling up a notch by incorporating ricotta cheese. The ricotta adds a wonderful creaminess to the filling, making the texture smoother and more velvety.. This richness balances out the fresh, herby flavours and gives the pie a more indulgent quality.
The Importance of Salting and Draining the Spinach
One of the most important steps when making spanakopita is preparing the spinach properly. Fresh spinach—especially the English spinach variety—contains a lot of water. If you don’t address this moisture, your filling can become watery and cause the fillo pastry to become soggy during baking.
To prevent this, salting the spinach is a crucial step. By sprinkling a little salt over the spinach and letting it sit for about 10-15 minutes, you’ll draw out excess moisture from the leaves. Once this has been done, the spinach should be thoroughly squeezed to remove any remaining liquid.
This process not only helps to prevent soggy pastry but also concentrates the flavour of the spinach, making the filling more flavourful and less watery. Once you’ve drained the spinach, you’re left with the perfect base for your herbed, cheesy filling.
Fillo Pastry: Quality matters
We’re so fortunate to have such amazing Fillo Pastry in Australia, just like the quality we find in Cyprus and Greece. I’m a huge fan of Antoniou Fillo Pastry, a family-owned company that’s been making the same delicious Fillo Pastry since 1960 in Sydney. It’s like a piece of history in every bite!
When working with Fillo Pastry, bringing it up to room temperature in its packaging is always important. This way, it’s softer to work with and won’t crack when cold. Keeping your Fillo Pastry pile covered while you work is also very important to prevent drying out, though only with a dry cloth. Never damp!
SPANAKOPITA | Greek Spinach Pie
Mary PolitisIngredients
Filling
- 2 bunches English spinach chopped raw - 1 bunch in Australia is approximately 160g
- 1/2 bunch silver beet chopped raw - mostly the green leaves
- 1 cup fresh dill chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh mint chopped
- 4-6 spring onions chopped
- 3-4 eggs
- 1/2 cup Extra virgin olive oil
- 500 g Ricotta cheese
- 200 g Greek Feta cheese
- cracked pepper to taste
- Salt to taste
For the Fillo Pastry
- 375 g Fillo Pastry at room temperature
- ½ cup Extra Virgin olive oil brushing pastry
- sesame seeds to sprinkle on top
Instructions
- Combine all the filling ingredients into a large bowl and incorporate well. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsius fan forced.
- You’ll need 4 sheets of Fillo Pastry for every Spanakopita roll. Oil and layer each sheet of Fillo pastry, so you have a pile of 4, and place it down in front of you horizontally. Begin gathering the pastry from the shorter side to create small crinkled folds. Add a generous amount of filling to the bottom end of the folded Fillo Pastry running perpendicular to the crinkled folds. Fold in each edge to seal and roll upward. Continue this process until you’ve used all of the filling.
- Bake for approximately 50 minutes until the Fillo Pastry is golden. If the Pastry is browning too quickly, place the tray on the bottom rack in your oven.
- Allow it to cool for 5 minutes, and enjoy it best when it's hot!