March 4, 2023

Spanakopita Triangles

Spanakopita is a super tasty Greek pastry that’s bursting with flavor!

Imagine biting into a crispy, golden crust and being hit with a delicious mix of spinach, feta cheese, onions, herbs, and eggs. It’s like a party in your mouth! The layers of fillo dough give it a satisfying crunch that’ll make your taste buds dance.

You can have it as a snack or a full meal, and it’s perfect for sharing with friends or family. Plus, it’s a great vegetarian option that’s both healthy and yummy. Trust me, once you try spanakopita, you’ll be hooked!

Spanakopita can be made in a large casserole dish or in the form of triangles or even rolls.

Spinach

You need a decent amount of spinach in this recipe. I always have frozen spinach in my freezer and find this is the easiest option.

You will need two 250g bags as you will loose weight by draining the water as they defrost. It does not matter if you use a little more spinach; let’s not waste that little bit extra.

With frozen spinach, no pre-cooking is required as the spinach is already cooked.

Do make sure you press out or squeeze out as much liquid as you can, you don’t want a soggy spanakopita!

USING FRESH SPINACH

Trim and thoroughly wash around 600g fresh spinach.

Sprinkle the chopped spinach with a little salt, then leave it for 10 minutes. The salt draws moisture out of the spinach which makes it easier to squeeze out the water.

Put some spinach on a clean tea towel and twist firmly to squeeze out the water. It’s easiest to work with a a smaller quantity rather doing it all at once. You want it moist but no water should come out when its squeezed.

Working with fillo Pastry

Working with fillo pastry can be tricky, but with a few tips, you can master it like a pro:

Thaw the pastry properly: Fillo pastry is very thin and delicate, so it’s important to thaw it properly before using it. Place it in the refrigerator overnight or on the counter for a few hours until it’s soft and pliable.
Keep it covered: Fillo pastry dries out quickly, so keep it covered with a damp kitchen towel or plastic wrap while you’re working with it. This will prevent it from cracking and breaking.
Brush it with butter: Brush each layer of fillo pastry with melted butter or oil to keep it moist and give it a golden, crispy texture. You can also use a good olive oil instead of butter.
Work quickly: Fillo pastry dries out quickly, so work as quickly as possible. Try to have all your ingredients and tools ready before you start working with the fillo.
Don’t be afraid to use extra layers: If you’re worried about the fillo breaking or tearing, use extra layers. The more layers you use, the stronger the pastry will be.
Experiment with shapes: Fillo pastry can be used to make a variety of shapes, from triangles to spirals. Don’t be afraid to experiment and get creative with your shapes and fillings.
Don’t waste scraps: If you have scraps of fillo pastry left over, don’t throw them away. You can use them to make smaller pastries or to decorate the tops of larger ones. Think about filling the triangles with some tinned pie apple, cooking and dusting with icing sugar for a yummy treat.

Storage/Re-heating

Spanikopita can be made the evening before you need to serve it. Make the triangles but don’t bake them. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight. When you are ready, go ahead and bake them as per the recipe.

Already cooked spanakopita will keep well if properly stored in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. Heat in oven until warmed through; personally I love them cold! You can microwave but it won’t be as crispy.

You can also freeze both cooked and uncooked Spanakopita . Warm in oven; no need to thaw in advance.

You can also bake/reheat in an airfryer – 180 C for around 15mins.

Watch me make them!

Some extra Tips

If you don’t have ricotto on hand sub for plain yogurt.

Sprinkle the Spanakopita with sesame seeds before baking, I love using black and white for a visual impact.

Spanakopita Triangles

Imagine biting into a crispy, golden crust and being hit with a delicious mix of spinach, feta cheese, onions, herbs, and eggs. It's like a party in your mouth! The layers of fillo dough give it a satisfying crunch that'll make your taste buds dance.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 15

Total Time 40

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine Greek

Servings 24 pieces

Equipment

TM5 or TM6
large lined oven tray
Pizza Cutter Optional
Pastry Brush

Ingredients

1 onion quartered
1 garlic clove peeled
20 grams butter
1 stalk dill leaves & thin stems
3 stalks parsley leaves & thin stems
250 grams frozen spinach defrosted and drained well. Weight is defrosted weight
150 grams Greek Feta broken into pieces
30 grams ricotta
2 egg yolks
1 tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper to season
1 pack filo pastry sheets approx 375g
100 grams extra butter for brushing pastry

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 190° (fan)
Add onion, garlic, parsley, dill and butter to Thermomix bowl and chop 3 seconds/speed 5. Scrape down sides. Saute 5 mins/100°/speed 2/ Measuring cup (MC) off/ simmering basket sitting on lid.
Add drained spinach, feta, ricotta, egg yolks and salt and pepper to taste. Mix 10 secs/speed 3. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding a tbsp of lemon juice for extra acidity if desired. Set aside to cool. Clean bowl.
In a clean Thermomix Bowl, add 100g butter into Thermomix bowl and melt 2 mins/80°/speed 2. Set aside
Remove the filo sheets and cut into three equal strips, lengthways. Create one big pile of filo strips and remove two layers. Cover the rest with a damp tea towel.
Brush each strip with butter and place one on top of the other
Add 1 tbsp of the spinach mix to the bottom right hand corner. Take the bottom right hand corner of the filo sheet and fold over to the left to form a small triangle. Continue folding upwards until you are left with a neat triangle.
Pop onto a tray and cover with a wet towel.
Repeat with remaining strips.
Bake in a pre heated oven at 190° (fan) for 15mins or until golden brown