Spanakopita: a forgiving pie full of Greek flavour

There are few things more comforting than a pie, but often that level of comfort is directly proportional to the amount of effort required to make it. Pastry bases that must be prepared, then chilled, lined, blind baked and re-baked; fillings that require pre-cooking, or sauces that need thickening. Not so with spanakopita.

Spanakopita is a Greek cheese and spinach pie, encased in several layers of filo pastry, each sheet painted with butter or oil; once baked it is golden brown and crisp on the outside, and soft inside, fresh from the herbs, and rich and salty from the cheese. Filo is forgiving and easy to handle, the butter-brushing smoothing the filo into your pie dish, as well as bringing colour and flavour. The filling is made simply by stirring together the ingredients in a bowl and then spooning on top of the pastry. I suppose if you were making your own filo, it might not be quite such a cinch, but I’m no kitchen masochist, and certainly won’t be suggesting you do so here (or ever, frankly). Without that labour, it is an easy and speedy delight, a pie that is big on flavour and texture and comfort, with a fraction of the faff.

You can shape your spanakopita in a variety of ways: in big round or square baking pans, smooth-topped, and pre-cut before cooking, to help you portion once the filo is baked and brittle; or rolled into a sausage, and then wound into a beautiful, burnished spiral. Or you can make mini versions – spanicopitakia – little samosa-like triangles, cigars, or folded over and rounded, like little pasties. The recipe below is for the first version, but it will translate to the others; just start checking the smaller pastries after 20 minutes, they are ready when they are golden and crisp.