Theia Maria's Traditional Spanakopita
Crispy phyllo pastry filled with spinach, feta, and herbs. A Greek family treasure from Kalamata to Melbourne's Oakleigh.
The Story Behind This Recipe
My aunt's recipe from Kalamata, Greece - Sophia Angelopoulos
In Oakleigh, Melbourne's Greek heartland, my Theia Maria (Aunt Maria) has been making spanakopita every Saturday for forty years. The ritual starts Friday night when she wilts mountains of spinach, squeezes it dry with her remarkably strong hands, and mixes it with crumbled feta, fresh dill, and eggs. Saturday morning, she lays out her phyllo pastry, brushes each sheet with olive oil, and creates those beautiful golden parcels that sell out at the Greek community center by noon.
Theia Maria learned to make spanakopita from her mother in Kalamata, Greece, where every family had their own version and fierce debates raged over the "correct" way to make it. Some families used only spinach and feta. Others added leeks, or chard, or spring onions. Some used cottage cheese with the feta. Theia Maria's family recipe, passed down from her grandmother, includes plenty of fresh dill and a handful of mint - "the secret," she says, "to proper Greek flavor."
When she arrived in Melbourne in 1975, Theia Maria was homesick and struggling with the language. Making spanakopita connected her to home. "When I smell the phyllo baking," she says, "I am back in my mother's kitchen in Kalamata. The smell is the same. The sound of the pastry crinkling is the same. Only the oven is Australian." For years, she made it just for family, but word spread through the Greek community about her exceptional spanakopita - crispy layers, generous filling, proper balance of spinach and cheese.
The key to great spanakopita, Theia Maria teaches, is threefold: the spinach must be completely dry (wet spinach makes soggy pastry), the phyllo must be brushed generously with good olive oil (butter makes it heavy), and the oven must be hot enough to crisp the pastry without burning it. "Many people are afraid of phyllo," she says. "It tears, it dries out, it seems difficult. But phyllo is forgiving. If it tears, brush it with oil and add another sheet. No one will know."
She makes spanakopita in a large baking tray, layering phyllo sheets on the bottom, spreading the spinach mixture thickly in the middle, then topping with more phyllo layers. Before baking, she scores the top into diamonds or squares - this makes it easier to cut when cooked and creates more crispy edges, which everyone fights over. The smell as it bakes - olive oil, spinach, dill, feta - fills her house and drifts down the street.
This recipe represents the Greek-Australian experience - maintaining traditions while building new communities, teaching the next generation, and gathering people around food that tastes like home. When Theia Maria cuts into a freshly baked pan of spanakopita, with its layers of golden, crispy phyllo shattering at the touch, revealing the bright green filling studded with white feta, she smiles. "This," she says, "this is Greece. This is love. This is home."
"Every recipe tells a story, and every story brings us closer to the heart of home."
Adjust Servings
Scaled Ingredients:
💡 Tip: Cooking times may need adjustment when scaling. Larger batches may take longer, smaller batches may cook faster.
Ingredients
For the Filling
For Assembly
Pro Tips
- • Spinach must be completely dry - squeeze it until you think you can't squeeze anymore, then squeeze again.
- • Don't skimp on the olive oil when brushing phyllo - generous oil makes crispy layers.
- • Work quickly with phyllo and keep it covered with a damp towel when not using.
- • If phyllo tears (and it will), just patch it with another piece and brush with oil.
- • Score the top before baking - cutting through baked phyllo is messy.
- • Fresh herbs make a huge difference - don't use dried for this recipe.
- • Spanakopita is delicious warm, room temperature, or even cold from the fridge.
Storage
Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Spanakopita freezes well - freeze before or after baking, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and foil, for up to 3 months.
Instructions
- 1
Prepare the spinach: If using fresh spinach, wash thoroughly and place in a large pot over medium heat with just the water clinging to the leaves. Cover and wilt for 3-5 minutes until collapsed. If using frozen spinach, thaw completely. Either way, drain the spinach well, let it cool, then squeeze it as dry as possible in your hands or a clean tea towel. This is crucial - wet spinach ruins spanakopita.
10 minutes - 2
Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook for 5-7 minutes until soft and translucent, not browned. Add the spring onions and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
9 minutes - 3
In a large bowl, combine the squeezed-dry spinach (roughly chopped), cooked onions, dill, mint, and parsley. Mix well. The spinach should be bright green and fluffy, not clumped together.
- 4
Add the crumbled feta and ricotta to the spinach mixture. Mix gently - you want to keep some texture from the feta, not mash it completely smooth.
- 5
Add the beaten eggs, salt (taste first - feta is salty!), pepper, and nutmeg if using. Mix thoroughly until everything is well combined. The mixture should hold together but not be too wet. Set aside.
- 6
Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Brush a 23cm x 33cm baking dish (or similar large rectangular dish) generously with olive oil. Have the phyllo pastry, olive oil, and a pastry brush ready. Work quickly once you start - phyllo dries out fast.
- 7
Unroll the phyllo pastry and cover it with a lightly damp tea towel to prevent drying. Take one sheet of phyllo and lay it in the oiled dish. It will probably hang over the edges - that's fine. Brush the sheet lightly but thoroughly with olive oil. Theia Maria uses a natural bristle brush, not silicone.
- 8
Repeat with 7 more sheets of phyllo, brushing each layer with olive oil. You should have 8 layers total on the bottom. Don't worry if sheets tear - just patch them with another piece and brush with oil. Stack the tears in the middle where they won't show.
- 9
Spread the spinach filling evenly over the phyllo base, pressing it down gently to eliminate air pockets. The filling layer should be substantial - about 3-4cm thick.
- 10
Now layer the remaining phyllo sheets on top of the filling, again brushing each sheet with olive oil. You should have 8 layers on top as well. Fold any overhanging edges over the top and brush them with oil.
- 11
Brush the top layer very generously with olive oil - this creates that beautiful golden, crispy finish. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if using. Using a sharp knife, score the top phyllo layers (not all the way through to the filling) into squares or diamonds. This makes cutting easier after baking and creates more crispy edges.
5 minutes - 12
Bake for 45-50 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and crispy, and the filling is set. The phyllo should puff up slightly and crinkle beautifully. If the top browns too quickly, cover loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes.
50 minutes - 13
Remove from the oven and let rest for 10-15 minutes before cutting. This allows the filling to set and makes cutting cleaner. Cut along the scored lines with a sharp knife. Serve warm or at room temperature. Theia Maria says it's even better the next day.
15 minutes
Ingredient Substitutions
Nutrition Information
Per serving (approximate)
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