Skillet Spanakopita (Feta and Spinach Pie)
Skillet Spanakopita is a smaller, quicker variation of this classic Greek dish. It's full of flavour and makes a great weeknight dinner too.
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Servings: 6 people
Calories: 2589kcal
Equipment
- 1 25cm / 10 inch frying pan
Ingredients
- 3 packets frozen spinach, thawed in the fridge overnight (750g / 1.6 pounds)
- 3 eggs
- 1 large leek thinly sliced
- 9 oz Greek feta (250g)
- ⅓ cup grated parmesan
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup parsley finely chopped
- ½ cup dill finely chopped
- 16 Filo sheets, thawed (see note 1 below) (about 3/4 of a packet)
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ tsp salt (see note 2)
- Pepper to taste
- Pinch of nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF/180ºC.
- Place the defrosted spinach into a clean tea towel, and bring the ends up together to enclose it. Squeeze the towel over the sink or a bowl to get out as much liquid from the spinach as possible. Discard the liquid and set the spinach aside.
- Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a large frying pan/skillet (mine was 25cm/10 inches) and warm over medium-high heat. Add the leek and garlic and pan-fry until softened. About 5-7 minutes. If at anytime the leek sticks to the pan just add a touch more oil or a little water.
- Add the spinach, plus salt, and pepper. Break up the clumps of spinach with a wooden spoon and stir occasionally to heat through (about 10 minutes). Remove the frying pan from the heat and tip the spinach mix into a large bowl. Set it aside to cool and wipe out the pan with some paper towel.
- Crack the eggs into the bowl with the spinach and add in the parsley, dill, parmesan, and nutmeg. Mix everything well with a fork and ensure the eggs have broken up.
- Crumble in the feta and toss everything well. Give the mix a taste and adjust the seasoning if you think it needs more salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Unroll the filo pastry and cover it with a damp tea towel so it doesn't dry out. Put the frying pan down on the bench in front of you and brush the inside liberally with olive oil. Lay one sheet of filo into the pan going left to right, pushing down the base and sides to get out as many large air bubbles as possible. The edges will be overhanging and that's fine. Brush this sheet with olive oil.
- Add another sheet of filo on top but this time lay it top to bottom. This will create a cross shape and the pastry should now be covering the entire rim of the frying pan. Brush this sheet with olive oil too. Now repeat the process six more times so you have 8 sheets of filo on the base. Remember to lay one sheet going left to right, brush with olive oil and lay then next sheet top to bottom.
- When the final sheet has been brushed with oil, pour in the cheese and spinach mixture, and flatten out with the back of a spoon. Take it right to the edges. Next, you want to roll up the overhanging filo so that is creates the crust edge for the top (see the video or pics above for visual guidance).
- To finish off the spanakopita - scrunch the remaining sheets of filo one by one and place around the topping to completely enclose it. Brush the top and edge with olive oil.
- Place the skillet in the oven and bake for 30 - 35 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and leave to sit for 10 minutes so the filling firms up. Cut into 4 or 6 slices and serve with a drizzle of lemon juice, tzatziki and a green or Greek salad.
Video
Notes
Note 1: Both the spinach and the filo need to be thawed overnight to ensure they're ready to use. Just pop them in the fridge on your way to bed and they'll be ready come lunch or dinner time the following day.
Note 2: The amount of salt you need is very much going to depend on the feta you use. Some are saltier than others. I suggest tasting your spinach/leek/cheese mix before adding it into the pastry and add more if you think it needs it.
Using fresh instead of frozen spinch is fine, but keep in mind you will need a lot more of it. One 10oz/~250g packet of frozen spinach is roughly 1.5 pounds/700g of fresh spinach, which can vary depending on the type of spinach you use. For this recipe I'd recommend either English spinach or baby spinach, which will first need to be cooked down. I also recommend buying a bit more than you think you need just to ensure you have enough.
Do let the spanakopita sit for 5 - 10 minutes once it's come out of the oven. Not doing this can mean it falls apart when you cut into it.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 2589kcal | Carbohydrates: 403g | Protein: 64g | Fat: 75g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 40g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 96mg | Sodium: 4347mg | Potassium: 738mg | Fiber: 15g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1754IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 382mg | Iron: 26mg
