Spanakopita & tzatziki

Spanakopita & tzatziki

This Greek-style pastry is filled with spinach and cheese, neatly folded into handy little parcels and makes the perfect Mediterranean starter

Difficulty and servings

Easy

Serves 4 as a starter

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 30 mins

Cook time

Cook 20 mins

Vegetarian

Vegetarian

Method

  1. To make the tzatziki, crush the garlic with a little sea salt and make a paste with a little of the lemon juice, toast the spices and mix into the garlic paste.
  2. Mix the cucumber with the rest of the lemon juice and add the spices and garlic paste. Mix the whole lot together with the yogurt and parsley, then add a little salt.
  3. Wilt the spinach in a little butter, squeeze out any excess water and then chop and season well. Mix with the ricotta and then leave to cool completely.
  4. Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6.
  5. Lay the filo out and cut lengthways into strips about 8cm wide. Brush 2 of the strips with butter on one side then stick the buttered sides together.
  6. Put a dessertspoon of the filling on one end of the filo strip. Fold one corner over to make a triangle then keep folding, continuing the triangle shape, until you get to the end of the strip.
  7. Put on a baking tray and brush with butter. Repeat with the rest of the filo until all the filling has been used - you should make 12.
  8. Chill for 10 minutes in the freezer, then bake for 15-18 minutes until crisp and golden. Serve with the tzatziki.

PER SERVING

376 kcalories, protein 13.2g, carbohydrate 37.4g, fat 20.4 g, saturated fat 11.7g, fibre 2.6g, salt 0.98 g

Recipe from olive magazine, May 2011.

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Latest comments and suggestions

  • Binder photo lena

    13 April 2011

    lena commented on this recipe

    SPANAKOPITA IS GREEK,SO I THINK THAT FETA IS THE BEST CHEESE TO ADD

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  • Binder photo Heidi

    23 April 2011

    Heidi commented on this recipe

    Lena, I was about to say the same thing. Since when was Ricotta Greek? If you're just taking inspiration, perhaps it's best not to call it Spanakopita?

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  • Binder photo Athens42

    02 May 2011

    Athens42 commented on this recipe

    I have never heard of spanakopita with ricotta cheese and I have been living in Greece for 20 years. An authentic spanakopita has sauted leeks, spring onions and chopped dill along with feta cheese of course.

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  • Binder photo louisejbx

    02 May 2011

    louisejbx commented on this recipe

    I've also been living in Athens for 20 odd years and my mother in law made the best spanakopita this side of the Aegean!! Plenty of olive oil instead of butter, fresh spinach, spring onions and loads of dill, please try it with feta, otherwise you will have the wrong impression of a classic!! Plus grate the cucumber and squeeze excess juice before you add to the yogurt for the tzatziki, we use a splash of vinegar, olive oil, grated garlic, salt and pepper .... Kali Orexi

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  • Binder photo MamaMoJo

    06 May 2011

    MamaMoJo rated and commented on this recipe

    2 stars

    Feta would have been better as these were sadly lacking in taste.

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  • Binder photo thomsonlm

    07 May 2011

    thomsonlm rated and commented on this recipe

    1 stars

    Really disappointing - have made a much better version of these in the past. They definitely need onion and feta for starters. Also - this is ranked as 'easy', but it would have been helpful to include some tips for handling filo for beginners - eg that you have to keep it under a damp cloth or it dries out etc.

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  • Binder photo Druuna Lea

    25 December 2011

    Druuna Lea rated this recipe

    3 stars

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  • Binder photo teapot

    13 May 2012

    teapot rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    I agree with all of the above users about the feta cheese. It adds much better texture and salty, tangy flavour. However, I used to buy spanakopita from a genuine Greek bakery and they never put onion in theirs so I can forgive the recipe for that. I sliced half of my filo sheets in half lengthwise to make larger ones and the other half into three strips to make little ones. Make sure to take them out of the oven a few minutes earlier than the large ones or they will be too crispy.

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Difficulty and servings

Easy

Serves 4 as a starter

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 30 mins

Cook time

Cook 20 mins

Vegetarian

Vegetarian

Ingredients

FOR THE TZATZIKI

  • ½ garlic clove
  • ½ lemon , juiced
  • pinch ground cumin
  • pinch ground coriander
  • ½ cucumber , peeled, seeds removed and shredded
  • 100ml Greek yogurt
  • handful parsley , chopped
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PER SERVING

376 kcalories, protein 13.2g, carbohydrate 37.4g, fat 20.4 g, saturated fat 11.7g, fibre 2.6g, salt 0.98 g

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