These crisp golden filo pastries filled with spinach and feta are very easy to make, and instant nostalgia for anyone who loves vacationing in Greece. This recipe makes enough pastries for a party: about 30, using a whole packet of filo. If you want to make fewer, just halve the ingredients; if you wrap the remaining filo carefully it will keep in the freezer.

Ingredients

  • 18 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed
  • 4 scallions, finely chopped
  • 7 oz feta cheese, crumbled
  • Salt and black pepper
  • 1 packet filo pastry
  • 5-6 tbsp olive oil, for brushing
  • For the tzatziki
  • 1/2 cucumber, grated, sprinkled
  • with salt and drained in a sieve
  • 1 1/4 cups (11 fl oz) thick strained
  • Greek yogurt
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 1-2 tbsp chopped mint
  • 1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, to serve
  • Fresh mint, to garnish (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

2. Put the spinach in a sieve or colander and press to remove any excess liquid. Transfer to a bowl and add the scallions, crumbled feta, and salt and pepper to taste.

3. Cut the sheets of filo pastry into strips about 3 x 11 inches; with the type of filo I used, this meant getting 6 strips per sheet, but the measurements don't have to be exactly the same. Keep the strips wrapped in a clean damp tea towel while you work so that they remain pliable.

4. Take one strip and put it in front of you with the short edges at the top and bottom. Brush the surface with olive oil, then put a good heaped teaspoonful of the filling at the top of the pastry strip. Fold one top corner diagonally across to cover the filling and make a triangle. Then fold this triangle over onto the filo, and keep folding over and over until you end up with a plump, triangular parcel. Place this on a baking sheet and brush with a little more oil if necessary.

5. Continue like this until you've used all the filo and filling, and have about 30 spanakopita on the baking sheet. Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes, until golden brown and crisp.

6. Make the tzatziki while the spanakopita are cooking; drain the cucumber and pat it dry on paper towels, then mix it with the yogurt, garlic, and mint and season as necessary. Put it into a small bowl and swirl the olive oil over the top and mint to garnish.

7. Serve the spanakopita right away, with a bowl of tzatziki for dipping.


Makes 30

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Submitted 5/13/13.
Source: Rose Elliot's 30-Minute Vegetarian
Submitted By: b smith

Spanakopita with Tzatziki