This showstopping spanakopita is golden, flaky and surprisingly easy to make
With frozen phyllo and 3 cheeses, Irene Matys’s take on the classic spinach pie might become your new go-to
This spanakopita recipe from Irene Matys’s new cookbook, My Cypriot Table, is a showstopper with its enticing layers of spinach, cheese and flaky phyllo.
If you've never worked with this paper-thin pastry before, it's not as intimidating as it seems, and the layers will hide any small tears. "Don't panic about perfection," Matys said. "Phyllo is very forgiving once baked."
Her tips for working with the frozen dough? Thaw it in the fridge and only unroll it when it’s time to use it. And keep in mind the pastry dries out quickly, so it’s best to cover it with a damp tea towel while you’re working with it.
Matys suggests serving the baked pie with talatouri — a sauce that’s similar to tzatziki and made with Greek yogurt, grated cucumber and fresh mint — and a simple salad of spring greens, red onion and a lemon vinaigrette. For brunch, you could serve it with a fried egg.
Read on for how to make Matys’s family recipe and her mom’s cumin-scented version with ground lamb too.
The following has been reprinted, with permission, from My Cypriot Table: Mediterranean Recipes for Gathering, Sharing, and Savoring.
Spanakopita (Phyllo Spinach Pie)
By Irene Matys
Spanakopita has got to be one of the most-loved pies in Greek and Cypriot culture. What’s not to love: layers and layers of buttery, crispy phyllo all wrapped around a delicious, savory spinach-cheese filling. The traditional Greek version uses fresh dill and feta cheese. My family recipe uses a blend of halloumi (as in many of our savory pies) and feta, and substitutes the dill with fresh parsley.
My mama served this to us for breakfast growing up. No mere Cheerios for us! We also enjoyed it for lunch and even dinner with a simple green side salad. Our family served it mostly vegetarian style, but for special occasions, mama would add cumin-scented ground lamb. Spanakopita is traditionally made in a rectangular pan or into individual triangles, but baking it in a springform pan showcases the layers beautifully. It’ll be a showstopper with its crispy, flaky, golden phyllo crust and warm cheesy spinach filling.
Tips:
This is a perfect make-ahead dish. Just place the prepared, unbaked pie in the refrigerator, covered, and bake cold within 24 hours. If for some reason you have leftovers—which never seems to happen in my household—place it on a baking sheet and bake in a 375°F preheated oven until warm and the phyllo has crisped up again.
If you want to try the lamb version, brown 1 lb (450 g) ground lamb with the sautéed onions and mix in 2 tsp ground cumin.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp + ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 cup finely diced cooking onions (1 medium onion)
- 9 oz (250 g) Cypriot halloumi
- 6 cups packed fresh baby spinach
- 2 cups finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- ½ cup thinly sliced green onions, including green parts
- 1½ cups crumbled sheep’s feta
- 9 oz (250 g) fresh ricotta, strained
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground pepper
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 lb (450 g) phyllo sheets, thawed following package directions
- 2 Tbsp white sesame seeds
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch-round by 3-inch-deep springform pan and set aside. In a small saucepan, heat 2 Tbsp oil over medium heat. Sauté the onions until translucent and tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside to cool slightly. Rinse the halloumi under cold water for 3 to 4 seconds and pat dry. This process is important, as you need to remove the salty brine from the halloumi. Grate the halloumi. Add the spinach, parsley, green onions, feta, ricotta, halloumi, and beaten eggs to the bowl with the cooked onions. Season with salt and pepper and toss gently until well mixed. Set aside.
In a bowl, stir the melted butter with the remaining ¼ cup oil.
Place the phyllo between a damp tea towel (so it doesn’t dry out). Lay a sheet of phyllo on a dry, clean work surface. Using a pastry brush, brush one sheet with the melted butter mixture, then place it in the pan. (Each sheet should be brushed with butter on the work surface first and then transferred individually to the pan and stacked.) Continue brushing seven more sheets of phyllo with butter and layering them in the pan with the edges draping over the sides.
Fill with the spinach mixture and fold the edges over. Layer eight more sheets of phyllo on top, brushing each with melted butter. Ensure the sides of the phyllo are tucked into the pan. Brush any leftover butter mixture on top and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the pie is a dark golden color. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing from the springform pan and serving warm.
Serves 6 to 8
Excerpted from My Cypriot Table: Mediterranean Recipes for Gathering, Sharing, and Savoring by Irene Matys. Copyright © 2025 Irene Matys. Photography by Irene Matys. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.
