Greek Spanakopita Triangles with Spinach, Feta, Dill, Pine Nuts and Crispy Phyllo

Prepare the spinach: if using fresh, blanch in boiling water for 1 minute. Drain and immediately plunge into ice water. Wring out every drop of moisture using your hands, then a clean kitchen towel. Squeeze again. Then again. Excess moisture is the enemy — it will make the phyllo soggy and the filling wet. The spinach should be completely dry. Chop roughly.

Ingredients

• For the filling:
• 800g (1.75 lbs) fresh spinach (or 500g frozen, thawed and well-drained)
• 400g (14 oz) good quality Greek feta, crumbled (not pre-crumbled — buy a block)
• 250g (9 oz) full-fat ricotta (for creaminess)
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 large white onion, finely diced
• 4 spring onions (scallions), finely sliced
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh dill, finely chopped (dried will not work here — dill is the defining flavor)
• 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 2 tbsp toasted pine nuts
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• Freshly cracked black pepper (generous amount)
• Salt — taste first as feta is very salty
• For the phyllo:
• 1 package (450g/1 lb) frozen phyllo dough, thawed overnight in the refrigerator
• 120ml (1/2 cup) extra-virgin olive oil (for brushing)
• 2 tbsp butter, melted (for brushing)

Instructions

1. Prepare the spinach: if using fresh, blanch in boiling water for 1 minute. Drain and immediately plunge into ice water. Wring out every drop of moisture using your hands, then a clean kitchen towel. Squeeze again. Then again. Excess moisture is the enemy — it will make the phyllo soggy and the filling wet. The spinach should be completely dry. Chop roughly.
2. Cook the onions: heat olive oil in a wide skillet over medium heat. Cook the diced onion for 10 minutes until completely soft and translucent. Add spring onions and cook 2 more minutes. Add the well-squeezed spinach. Stir over medium heat for 5 minutes to evaporate any remaining moisture. Season with pepper. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool completely — filling must be room temperature before adding eggs.
3. Make the filling: add crumbled feta, ricotta, beaten eggs, dill, parsley, pine nuts, and nutmeg to the cooled spinach. Mix well with your hands. Taste — it should be savory, herby, and richly cheesy. Add salt very carefully as feta is already extremely salty.
4. Prepare the phyllo: mix olive oil and melted butter in a small bowl. Unroll the phyllo and cover immediately with a damp kitchen towel — it dries out in seconds and becomes impossible to work with.
5. Make the triangles: lay one sheet of phyllo on a clean surface. Brush lightly but completely with the oil-butter mixture. Lay a second sheet on top, brush again. Cut lengthwise into 3 equal strips. Place a heaped tablespoon of filling at the bottom corner of each strip. Fold corner to corner in flag-fold triangles up the length of the strip. Brush the finished triangle with oil mixture. Repeat with remaining phyllo and filling.
6. Bake at 190°C (375°F) on a parchment-lined baking sheet for 20-25 minutes until deeply golden, shatteringly crisp, and audibly crunchy. The pastry should have visible layers separating.
7. Rest for 5 minutes before serving. Spanakopita is eaten everywhere in Greece — in bakeries at dawn, at kitchen tables for lunch, at every mezze table. The triangle format makes them ideal party food: portable, elegant, and impossible to eat just one.