I always have problems saying the name correctly: Spa-na-ko-pi-ta. I tend to mix up some of the letters and then it’s suddenly something completely different ;) Maybe I should just describe what it is – spinach strudel with filo dough. No. I have to remember the correct name. This dish deserves to be pronounced correctly. It’s one of my favorite pastries from Greece! Spanakopita! ;)
In Greece and Turkey, people like to bake with filo dough or yufka dough a lot. Spanakopita, Börek, Baklava, small dumplings, tarts, and much more… you can make so many delicious things with this type of dough. Super thin layers of dough that are (most of the time) brushed with oil or melted butter so they stick together, then used and shaped in many ways, similar to puff pastry dough. When baked, this combination gets super flaky and crunchy. So good.
I have to admit – I do prefer using filo dough from the supermarket. Making it at home and getting the perfect thin layers can be a bit tricky. No need to get a nervous breakdown because of that – the ones from the supermarket are normally pretty good ;P Using the pre-made dough sheets is so easy – especially with this recipe here. You just have to prepare the filling, place that on one of the thin dough sheets and then roll it up. Several rolls are then shaped into a large spiral. That’s it. Looks much more complicated than it actually is… ;)
As for the filling, there are actually many different versions you can use. Some have just spinach and feta, others are made with leek as well (like this one here). But you can also add minced meat or fish (e.g. salmon) if you want to – works all well here. You do not always have to stick to the traditional fillings.
BTW – you can eat spanakopita warm or cold. Leftovers can be taken to the office or a picnic out in the park… eat it cold or warm it up again in the microwave (in the office, not at the park outside).
If you like the large speach pie, you will certainly like the mini version too – Spanakopita Triangles with Minced Meat, Spinach & Feta. The snack version of the original is very popular here, because you can take it easily out to a park or to work for lunch ;) My Simple & Easy Greek-ish Salad is from the same region of Europe. Maybe not 100% original, but definitely delicious! We make it almost every week in summer ;P
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
(8 servings)
For the filling:
2-3 tbsp. olive oil for frying
1 medium red onion, chopped
11 oz. (300g) leeks, in Rings
4-5 garlic cloves, chopped
21 oz. (600g) fresh spinach, washed & drained
11 oz. (300g) feta cheese (or shepherd’s cheese), crumbled
salt, pepper
1 package (about 9 oz./250g) filo dough
olive oil for brushing
some black cumin seeds
(8 Portionen)
Für die Füllung:
2-3 EL Olivenöl zum Anbraten
1 mittelgroße rote Zwiebel, gehackt
300g Lauch, in Ringen
4-5 Knoblauchzehen, gehackt
600g frischer Spinat, gewaschen & abgetropft
300g Feta Käse (oder Hirtenkäse), zerbröckelt
Salz, Pfeffer
1 Packung (ca. 250g) Filoteig
Olivenöl zum Einpinseln
etwas Schwarzkümmel
DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
1. Peel the onion and garlic and chop finely. Wash the leek and cut into rings. Wash the spinach, remove thick stems and let drain. Set aside.
2. Heat up a large dutch oven or pot with some olive oil. Add the chopped onion and sauté until soft and glossy. Add the leek and garlic and cook everything over medium heat for 2-3 minutes or until the leek looks glossy and translucent. Add the drained spinach and mix in. Cook for about 8-10 minutes (stir often) until the spinach has wilted down to a fraction of its former volume. There should not be much liquid left in the pot. Remove from the heat and let cool down for about 10 minutes. Crumble the feta cheese (or shepherd’s cheese) and mix with the spinach. Season with some salt and pepper – depending on the saltiness of the cheese you might not need much here. Let everything cool down for another 10 minutes or so.
3. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly oil a 10 inches (26cm) springform tin or pie dish and set aside. Take your filo dough out of the fridge and place some sheets on your work surface (keep the rest covered so they do not dry out). Take about 4-5 tablespoons of the spinach-feta mix and spread it on one end of a filo dough sheet, then roll up tightly to get one long filo sausage. Roll the sausage up like a cinnamon roll and place it in the center of your baking form. Repeat with more filo sheets and filling to create more sausages and place them around the already rolled-up filo sausage in the baking form. In the end, it should look like one big continuous roll. Brush everything with olive oil (don’t be shy here) and sprinkle with some black cumin seeds. Bake for 35-40 minutes. The Spanakopita should look nicely browned. If you want/need more browning, increase the heat towards the end and place the baking form closer to the heating element for some extra crunch. Take out of the oven and let cool down and set for about 15-20 minutes. Serve warm or cold.
1. Zwiebel und Knoblauch schälen und fein hacken. Den Lauch waschen, trocknen und in Ringe schneiden. Den Spinat waschen, dicke Stiele entfernen und abtropfen lassen. Alles zur Seite stellen.
2. Einen großen (gusseisernen) Kochtopf mit etwas Olivenöl erhitzen. Die gehackte Zwiebel dazugeben und im Öl glasig andünsten. Lauch und Knoblauch dazugeben und alles bei mittlerer Hitzezufuhr etwa 2-3 Minuten andündsten, bis der Lauch ebenfalls glasig glänzt. Den abgetropften Spinat dazugeben und untermischen. Alles etwa 8-10 Minuten dünsten und dabei häufig umrühren, bis der Spinat zusammengefallen und nur noch wenig Flüssigkeit im Topf zu sehen ist. Vom Herd nehmen und etwa 10 Minuten abkühlen lassen. Den Feta Käse (oder Hirtenkäse) zerbröckeln und mit dem Spinat vermischen. Mit Salz und Pfeffer würzen – je nachdem wie salzig der Käse ist, braucht man hier eventuell nicht ganz so viel Salz. Die Mischung weitere 10 Minuten abkühlen lassen.
3. Den Ofen auf 180°C (350°F) Ober-/Unterhitze vorheizen. Eine 26cm (10 inches) große Springform oder Kuchenform leicht einölen und zur Seite stellen. Den Filoteig aus dem Kühlschrank nehmen und einige Blätter auf die Arbeitsfläche legen (den Rest zugedeckt lassen, damit er nicht austrocknet). Etwa 4-5 Esslöffel der Spinat-Feta-Mischung am Rand eines Filoteigblatts entlang auftragen und dann fest zusammenrollen. Die entstandene “Wurst” zu einer Schnecke zusammenrollen und in die Mitte der Backform setzen. Mit weiteren Filoteigblättern und Füllung wiederholen und die entstandenen Würste um die Schnecke herum in der Form anordnen. Am Ende soll das Ganze wie eine riesige, durchgängige Spirale aussehen. Alles mit Olivenöl bepinseln (hier nicht sparen) und mit etwas Schwarzkümmel bestreuen. Die Spanakopita etwa 35-40 Minuten backen – der Filoteig sollte knusprig sein und schön gebräunt aussehen. Gegen Ende der Backzeit kann man die Temperatur des Ofens auch noch etwas erhöhen und die Form näher an den Heizspiralen platzieren, damit die Spanakopita schön Farbe bekommt. Aus dem Ofen nehmen und etwa 15-20 Minuten abkühlen lassen. Warm oder kalt servieren.
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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
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Spanakopita (Greek Spinach Pie)
- Prep Time: 00:25
- Cook Time: 00:40
- Total Time: 02:00
- Yield: 1 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: Greek
Description
A classic Greek dish we love so much – Spanakopita. Crunchy filo dough filled with spinach and feta. Looks so good and tastes even better!
Ingredients
For the filling:
2–3 tbsp. olive oil for frying
1 medium red onion, chopped
11 oz. (300g) leeks, in Rings
4–5 garlic cloves, chopped
21 oz. (600g) fresh spinach, washed & drained
11 oz. (300g) feta cheese (or shepherd’s cheese), crumbled
salt, pepper
1 package (about 9 oz./250g) filo dough
olive oil for brushing
some black cumin seeds
Instructions
1. Peel the onion and garlic and chop finely. Wash the leek and cut into rings. Wash the spinach, remove thick stems and let drain. Set aside.
2. Heat up a large dutch oven or pot with some olive oil. Add the chopped onion and sauté until soft and glossy. Add the leek and garlic and cook everything over medium heat for 2-3 minutes or until the leek looks glossy and translucent. Add the drained spinach and mix in. Cook for about 8-10 minutes (stir often) until the spinach has wilted down to a fraction of its former volume. There should not be much liquid left in the pot. Remove from the heat and let cool down for about 10 minutes. Crumble the feta cheese (or shepherd’s cheese) and mix with the spinach. Season with some salt and pepper – depending on the saltiness of the cheese you might not need much here. Let everything cool down for another 10 minutes or so.
3. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly oil a 10 inches (26cm) springform tin or pie dish and set aside. Take your filo dough out of the fridge and place some sheets on your work surface (keep the rest covered so they do not dry out). Take about 4-5 tablespoons of the spinach-feta mix and spread it on one end of a filo dough sheet, then roll up tightly to get one long filo sausage. Roll the sausage up like a cinnamon roll and place it in the center of your baking form. Repeat with more filo sheets and filling to create more sausages and place them around the already rolled-up filo sausage in the baking form. In the end, it should look like one big continuous roll. Brush everything with olive oil (don’t be shy here) and sprinkle with some black cumin seeds. Bake for 35-40 minutes. The Spanakopita should look nicely browned. If you want/need more browning, increase the heat towards the end and place the baking form closer to the heating element for some extra crunch. Take out of the oven and let cool down and set for about 15-20 minutes. Serve warm or cold.
Notes
Enjoy baking!
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I love my job, but in between I love to bake and try new things in the kitchen. A lot of my friends and colleagues encourage me to bake - for a very simple reason: they get the leftovers - and it seems they like it most of the time ;) 
