Vintage Eats Recipe: 1997 Spanakopita

If you are a mystery lover, you’ve probably run across cozy mysteries that are food-centered and include recipes at the end for the reader to try, based on their mention in the text.

This was true upon my reading of ‘Murder with Ganache’ by Lucy Burdette. The characters make the Greek dish Spanakopita — translated Spinach Pie. When I realized I had all of the ingredients, I went looking for a Greek cookbook in the international section of my cookbook home library.

I found the recipe in ‘Traditional Recipes Greek Cookery’ (1997). It contains, according to the front page inset “300 traditional recipes selected with care from the rich heritage of Greek cookery.”

The recipe for Spinach Pie was included in the book and, even though I had never eaten Greek food, nor prepared it, I decided, “Why not?”

It was actually simple, though somewhat tedious in working with phyllo dough. But having watched dozens of episodes of “The Great British Baking Show,” I knew what to expect and plowed on.

Note: This recipe called for half a package of phyllo dough. I had used the other half for a December 2023 recipe: ‘Cranberry Brie in Pastry.’ It is just as delicious as this one and I encourage you to try it—don’t wait for Christmas!

It is a beautiful book, one that I thought was much newer than 1997 because it is full-color with loads of photos of completed dishes. It is definitely one I will spend more time looking through for other delicious recipes!

See My Notes at the end for suggestions of ways to enhance this dish.

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Spanakopita, or Spinach Pie

1 2-pound bag of fresh spinach

10 ounces spring onions, finely chopped

1 small bunch dillweed, finely chopped

1 large leek, finely chopped

2 eggs

1 c. olive oil

Salt, pepper

17-ounce phyllo dough

Pick, wash, and blanch the spinach.

Press out all excess liquid and chop.

Heat half the oil and saute onions and leek lightly.

Remove the pot from the heat.

Add dillweed, beaten eggs, spinach, seasonings. Stir to mix.

Brush a baking pan with oil and line it with half the phyllo dough, brushing sheets one by one.

Add filling and cover pie with remaining dough, oiling each sheet as before.

Bake spinach pie in moderate oven for one hour.

12 servings

My Notes:

1. I used frozen spinach and squeezed out the excess water after it thawed.
2. My grocery doesn’t stock leeks so I used regular onions.
3. We don’t care for dill so I left it out.
4. Having read another recipe for this dish that included feta cheese, I decided to add a container to the wet mix to enhance the creaminess and calcium. Yum!
5. I baked it at 350 degrees for one hour.

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