Spanakopita Triangles: Individual Greek Spinach Pies
If you love spinach, feta, and flaky phyllo dough, you’ll love these spanakopita triangles!
Spanakopita, or Greek spinach pie, is one of the most traditional Greek dishes. In Greece, every family has a recipe that has been passed down through generations.
Spanakopita Triangles or Large Pie
When it comes to spanakopita, some prefer to make one big pie in a large pan, and others prefer the triangle shape for hand-held versions. The large pan pie looks nice when it comes out of the oven, but it can get messy once you begin cutting it into individual portions.
I prefer Greek spanakopita triangles because they present beautifully, have a better phyllo-to-filling ratio, and can be easily portioned and dipped.
Spanakopita Triangles Ingredients and Substitutions
Greek food may seem exotic, but all of the ingredients you’ll need for this delicious recipe should be available at your local grocery store.
Spinach
Since you are making spinach pies, I obviously recommend sticking with spinach, although this recipe will work with pretty much any vegetable.
Fresh spinach contains too much water, which makes the phyllo pastry soggy. Thawed, frozen, chopped spinach works best because you can get most of the moisture out of it.
The best way to remove the excess water is to squeeze it with your hands in fists.
Onions
I use thawed frozen onions to save a step. If you use fresh onions, you’ll want to cook them first.
Feta Cheese
I am addicted to feta. It’s the quintessential Greek cheese, and I wouldn’t recommend substituting for it unless you really have an aversion to this Greek favorite.
Ricotta Cheese
Nope, ricotta cheese is not Greek. But this Italian cheese does help smooth out the filling and keep it together. If you can find smooth Myzithra cheese, that’s also a great way to go—and you get extra authenticity points for keeping things thoroughly Greek. That being said, whipped cream cheese or cottage cheese can also be substituted.
Phyllo Dough
For best results, thaw your frozen phyllo dough (also called filo dough) in the refrigerator overnight for the next day. Put the whole box in there. In fact, it will be fine in the fridge for a few days; defrosting this way is definitely better than force-thawing. Do not microwave it!
If you are phyllo-phobic, you can substitute puff pastry and make only one fold and be done. The taste is completely different, of course, and the dough heavier, but it will still make a nice triangle.
Lemon Juice
Adding a little bit of lemon juice to the spinach mixture imparts a traditional flavor element. But, if you want to omit it, you won’t jeopardize the recipe. If you want extra lemony flavor, add some lemon zest instead of more juice.
Olive Oil Spray
Some chefs use a pastry brush to coat each sheet of phyllo dough with melted butter. As much as I LOVE butter, for my spanakopita recipe, I use olive oil spray.
It’s soooo much easier, quicker, and less caloric!
Spanakopita Triangles Recipe
Makes 18 Pockets
Ingredients
2 eggs
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced garlic cloves
1 teaspoon black pepper
¼ cup ricotta
cheese
¼ cup minced green onions
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
¼ tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
¾ cup crumbled feta cheese
16 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well-drained
¼ cup frozen, chopped yellow onion, thawed and well-drained
18 sheets of phyllo dough, thawed
olive oil spray
Instructions
1. Keep the defrosted phyllo dough in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it. Preheat the oven to 375° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, lemon juice, garlic, and pepper together. Add the ricotta, green onions, dill, and parsley, and whisk again.
3. When everything is thoroughly mixed, stir in the feta with a spatula or wooden spoon. Then add the spinach and yellow onions to the feta filling and stir again.
4. Using a ¼-cup measuring cup, scoop out 18 equal portions of the spinach mixture onto a sheet pan or cutting board. Use up all of the mixture, so adjust as needed to make 18 piles of roughly equal size. This is for convenience and will help you work with the phyllo dough more quickly and efficiently.
5. Unroll the phyllo dough and with a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut 18 sheets in half lengthwise. Put one stack on top of the other and cover your phyllo sheets with a slightly damp dish towel. (It’s better to have the damp towel too dry than too wet.)
6. Place one sheet of phyllo on a clean work surface, and spray it lightly with olive oil spray. Take a second sheet and place it on top of the first, lining the two sheets up as best you can, but don’t fret if things are not perfect. Spray the second sheet as well.
7. Place one of the spinach piles onto the bottom right corner of your phyllo dough. Leave about a ¼ inch of space from the edges, and spread out the filling to make a small triangle. Two of the sides of the spinach triangle should align with the corner sides of the phyllo.
8. Bring the corner of the side with the filling over to the left side of your phyllo to form a triangle. Continue to fold over and over as if you were folding a flag. If at any point you end up with an excess of phyllo dough on either side of your triangle, just fold it over onto your triangle and continue folding your triangle all the way up your phyllo sheet.
9. When finished, place the triangle on the parchment-lined baking sheet, seam side down. Tuck any excess phyllo under or cut it off, but be careful not to cut any fold; doing so will result in a leak. Give your triangle a final spray of olive oil.
10. Repeat steps 6 through 9 until you have 18 filled phyllo triangles. When you have finished, bake your triangles in the oven for 20 minutes until they are golden brown.
Serving Spanakopita Triangles
These vegetarian pies are always a big hit! And they are so versatile. Serve them as an appetizer or entree at brunch, lunch, or dinner.
Temperature
Serve them hot out of the oven, warm, or even room temperature, but not cold out of the fridge (dough will not be flaky).
Sauces
Serve solo or with a dipping sauce like Tzatziki, Lebanese Tabouli, Pesto, or Hummus.
Entree
I usually serve these large spanakopita triangles as an entree with a side salad. Try one of these: Greek Salad, Bulgur Wheat Salad, Mediterranean Halloumi Salad, or Cucumber and Tomato Salad, or Panzanella.
I also like these veggie sides with the phyllo pies: Marinated Vegetable Skewers, Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms, Zucchini Flower Fritters, and Caponata (Sicilian Eggplant).
Side Dish
As a side dish, these spinach pies pair well with just about any Mediterranean cuisine dish like:
Mediterranean Lamb Chops
Greek Meatloaf
Urfa Kebabs
Squash Blossom Pizza
Greek Meat Pies
Mediterranean Halloumi Salad
Frittata di Pasta
Frittata di Zucchine
Afterwards, try one of these Greek desserts.
Meze
I love making a bunch of Greek appetizers and feasting. In Greece, such appetizers are served before dinner, but when I serve meze, they constitute the meal.
Variations
Large Pie
The advantage of one big Greek spinach feta phyllo pie is that it’s quicker to make. You can forget all the folding and line the bottom and sides of a large glass baking dish or springform pan with 8 layers of phyllo. Between every 2 sheets, spray with olive oil or brush with butter.
Add the entire filling, then add a top layer of phyllo that is just like the bottom layer. Fold over your phyllo at the edges and cut off the excess as necessary. When done, spray the whole pie with olive oil spray or brush with a heaping tablespoon of melted butter.
Mini Spanakopita Triangles
Mini spanakopita triangles are a perfect finger food for party appetizers.
Follow the same recipe as for the large triangles above but cut the phyllo dough into 4 long strips instead of 2. Also cut the filling portion in half, so that each triangle gets 2 tablespoons of filling.
Extra Phyllo Dough
If you wind up with extra sheets of phyllo dough, wrap them in plastic wrap and put them back in the freezer for future use.
Storing Spanakopita
Store your leftovers in a single layer in an airtight container or Ziploc baggie.
Reheating
After being in the fridge, the phyllo dough can lose a lot of its crispness. So, place your pies on baking trays and heat them in the oven or toaster oven at 375° for 5–7 minutes.
Do not microwave the leftover pies. Microwaving won’t harm you, but it will never make the phyllo crispy.
