DISH RESEARCH · Main dish
Spanakopita
Also known as: Σπανακόπιτα
A layered filo pie with spinach, feta, fresh herbs and a sesame finish.
About Spanakopita
Spanakopita is a Greek spinach pie enclosed in layers of filo pastry. Nagi Maehashi’s version combines fresh spinach, feta and yogurt with dill, mint and spring onion, with kefalotyri between the upper pastry layers.
Feta and kefalotyri give the pie a salty dairy richness. Lemon adds brightness, while garlic, nutmeg and a little cayenne accompany the fresh herbs.
The buttery pastry forms crisp, flaky layers around a moist green filling. Black and white sesame seeds finish the golden surface, and the cut portions show the contrast between thin pastry and substantial spinach filling.
Allergens in this recipe
Contains: Milk, Egg, Wheat (gluten), Sesame.
Other allergen details are unconfirmed.
Ingredients vary by restaurant. Confirm your allergens with staff before ordering.
Ingredients in Spanakopita
Nagi Maehashi’s Greek spinach-and-feta spanakopita with kefalotyri.
- Fresh English spinachFilling
- SaltSeasoning
- Greek fetaFilling
- Greek yogurtFilling
- Spring onionsAromatic
- EggBinder
- Fresh mintAromatic
- Fresh dillAromatic
- LemonSeasoning
- GarlicAromatic
- NutmegSeasoning
- Black pepperSeasoning
- Cayenne pepperSeasoning
- Filo pastryBase
- ButterCooking medium
- Greek kefalotyri cheeseFilling
- White sesame seedsTopping
- Black sesame seedsTopping
- WaterCooking medium
Ingredient details & uncertainties
Allergen information is incomplete. Unconfirmed details do not establish that an allergen is absent.
- Fresh English spinach: . First fresh true-spinach branch; no frozen convenience or silverbeet substitute.
- Salt: . Spinach sweating and filling allocations consolidated.
- Greek feta:
- Greek yogurt: . First named yogurt before generic plain alternative.
- Spring onions:
- Egg:
- Fresh mint:
- Fresh dill:
- Lemon: . Zest and juice consolidated.
- Garlic:
- Nutmeg:
- Black pepper:
- Cayenne pepper:
- Filo pastry: . First refrigerated filo before frozen/puff alternatives; complete brand formula unspecified. Ordinary filo supports Wheat.
- Butter: . First ordinary butter branch before optional clarified-butter alternative; all brushing uses consolidated.
- Greek kefalotyri cheese: . First named cheese before alternative hard cheeses; dairy species may be sheep or goat.
- White sesame seeds:
- Black sesame seeds:
- Water: . Explicit spinach washing and damp towel used to cover filo; not the spinach’s own expressed juice.
Origins & food traditions
Maehashi presents spanakopita as an iconic traditional Greek spinach pie, drawing the raw-spinach handling technique from Sydney’s Alpha Greek restaurant.
Cuisines & regions
- Greek
- Greek Home CookingCatalogue link pending review
- Greek Australian cuisineCatalogue link pending review
AI-generated illustration of one possible presentation. Recipes and ingredients vary; the image does not establish allergen content.