Spanakopitakia (Greek recipe)

Spanakopitakia are delicious Greek phyllo pastries filled with spinach and feta, a typical dish of Greek cuisine. They are perfect as an appetizer or as a snack. Here’s how to prepare them with an Italian twist.

Ingredients

• 200 g of phyllo dough
• 400 g of fresh spinach (or frozen if not available)
• 200 g of feta cheese
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• A pinch of grated nutmeg (optional)
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Melted butter as needed to brush the phyllo dough

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
2. If you are using fresh spinach, wash it well and then cook it in a pot with a little water for about 5-10 minutes. Squeeze it to remove excess water. If using frozen spinach, follow the instructions on the package to defrost it and squeeze it out very well.
3. In a frying pan, sauté the chopped onion in olive oil until it becomes translucent. Add the spinach and sauté everything for a couple of minutes. Turn off the heat and let cool.
4. Crumble the feta and add it to the spinach with the onion, then add the egg, nutmeg (if using), salt, and pepper. Mix well to combine the ingredients.
5. Cut the phyllo dough into strips about 10 cm wide. Keep the phyllo dough strips covered with a damp cloth while working to prevent them from drying out.
6. Brush a strip of phyllo dough with melted butter. Place a spoonful of the spinach and feta filling at one end of the strip and fold the phyllo dough over itself to form a triangle, continuing to fold until the end of the strip.
7. Arrange the triangles on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and brush them with more melted butter.
8. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the Spanakopitakia become golden and crispy.
9. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Curiosity

The name “Spanakopita” literally means “spinach pie” in Greek. The mini version, Spanakopitakia, is perfect as finger food during parties or as a quick snack. It is often served as part of the Greek meze, an assortment of small typical culinary delights.

To maintain an Italian touch in this dish, you could add a bit of ricotta to soften the salty flavor of the feta, or replace some of the feta with grated Parmesan cheese for a more flavorful tone that is familiar to the Italian palate.